Skip to content

TESC participates in skilled trades recruitment provincial pilot program

Program will create opportunities for candidates who are traditionally underrepresented in the skilled trades
tesc_contracting_laurentian_hospital

SUDBURY – Oct. 18, 2021: TESC Contracting Company Ltd. (TESC) has committed to participating in Tomorrow’s Trades, a workforce development pilot program to recruit and prepare skilled trades candidates, delivered by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. The program has a primary focus on creating opportunities for candidates who are traditionally underrepresented in the skilled trades. TESC will provide practical in-person training workshops in the areas of safety, concrete, plumbing, scaffolding, and employability to selected individuals aged 18-36 in Sudbury.

After receiving many applications from people interested in joining the skilled trades and eager to learn more about these career choices, selected individuals were approved to partake in this program in Sudbury. Funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario, Tomorrow’s Trades developed a plan to deliver the required training and skills to encourage participants to become leading candidates for an apprenticeship in the skilled trades. This provincial program is being administered in designated cities, including London, Hamilton, and Ottawa.

“We are excited to support this program to help guide and train our local youth for a rewarding career in construction," stated Julie Zulich, president and Co-CEO of TESC. “It is my hope that not only will we attract future employees to a workforce that is in need of qualified people, but also to create awareness of careers in trades to more women so that the barriers that exist in the industry regarding diversity and inclusion are eventually removed.”

Tomorrow’s Trades allows candidates a journey to explore the different trades in a hands-on manner while providing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), access to various training centres, and a daily per diem allowance to offset related expenses. Furthermore, participants can acquire various health and safety qualifications, such as Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps, WHMIS, Working at Heights, Elevated Work Platform, First Aid and CPR training, to further enhance their future applications when seeking employment after the program. Upon completion of the program, individuals may then join an apprenticeship in a trade of their choice, equipped with trade specific tools provided by Milwaukee Tools.

‘’This project offers a great opportunity to explore, experience, and get involved in any of the unionized construction skilled trades apprenticeships and careers in Ontario. Tomorrow’s Trades will be helpful to Ontario’s building and construction trades unions and their employer partners in building a more inclusive and diverse workforce by improving awareness and pathways to careers in the industry,” concluded Adam Melnick, program director, Tomorrow’s Trades.

About TESC Contracting Company Ltd.

Established in 1976, TESC Contracting Company Ltd. has evolved into a multi-trade construction services provider specializing in industrial projects and plant/facility maintenance predominantly across Northern Ontario. TESC primarily serves the mining, energy/power generation, and forest products sectors offering pre-construction, general contracting, design-build, plant maintenance and shutdown planning, fabrication, construction management, and 24/7 emergency services.