Skills for Change launches WeldUp for Skilled Trades Ontario welders
skilled trades ontario welders who trained outside Canada can now enter WeldUp, a bridging program launched last fall by Skills for Change and CWB Group. The program gives internationally trained workers a route toward Canadian standards without repeating their whole education.
Nasreen Anowar, a WeldUp program specialist with Skills for Change, said on May 5 that the Ontario Bridge Training Program is designed to help internationally trained professionals overcome common barriers, including lack of Canadian experience or certification. She said it also helps employers fill skills gaps and labour shortages by connecting them with highly skilled talents.
WeldUp Pathways
WeldUp is offered through Skills for Change’s trades program in partnership with CWB Group, which certifies welders and welding companies across the country and administers Canadian industry codes and standards. CWB certification is widely recognized by employers and is a major requirement for welding jobs in Ontario.
Eligible newcomers move into either an intermediate or advanced pathway, depending on experience and skill level. The intermediate stream is for people with one to two years of welding experience or informal training who need skills upgrading to meet CWB standards.
That stream includes 60 hours of hands-on training over two weeks at the CWB training site in Milton. The advanced stream is for people with more than two years of experience who are very close to certification but need extra practice or preparation to get their licence. It requires 20 hours of hands-on training.
Training, Support, and Cost
Both pathways require online training that earns five microcredentials. After those components are complete, participants are eligible to write their certification test through CWB.
Participants must bring their own safety boots. CWB provides helmets, gloves, jackets and other safety equipment, and each participant receives a $100 honorarium after completing the program.
Skills for Change has operated for more than 40 years and says it supports newcomers to Canada with free employment and settlement services. More than 16,000 clients use those services each year, and WeldUp adds wraparound supports meant to improve the chance of success for enrollees.
For welders already working toward a return to the trade, the path is direct: train, earn the microcredentials, and then take the CWB certification test that employers in Ontario recognize.
