CWB Group launches full-cycle assessment and training program

The CWB Group has officially announced its Welder Competency Assessment and Skills Training (WCAST) program.

This program, which will provide education and training opportunities to newcomers and other individuals pursuing a career in the welding and joining industry, will initially be launched in Ontario, through the support of the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and its Skills Development Fund Training Stream.

The WCAST program’s objectives are to help address the labour shortages in the welding and joining industry by supporting internationally-trained welders, and other underrepresented groups (such as Indigenous People, women, and youth, among others) as they advance through the training process to work as a qualified welder in Ontario.

The online WCAST portal will deliver full-cycle services to participants in English, French, and Ukrainian, including:

• Competency assessment tools based on CWB Learning Resources and a personalized gap analysis of knowledge against Canadian welding standards
• Enrollment in CWB’s online micro-credential courses targeting the specific welding competencies that were identified during the assessment process
• 20 to 100 hours of hands-on welding training (depending on the individual’s previous experience in welding), leading to the awarding of welding tickets/qualifications required for a career in the trade
• Supplementary soft skills training to complement the participant’s technical training

The WCAST program expands on the current online Welder Competency and Credential Assessment (WCCA) portal, which was launched in 2021 to provide valuable guidance and resources about Canada’s welding industry, the process to obtain welding certification, and a competency assessment to identify knowledge gaps in welding.

“CWB’s WCAST program builds on the success of our original assessment portal by delivering targeted training pathways to individuals interested in a future in welding,” says Doug Luciani, president and CEO, CWB Group. “This program will help address the labour needs of the welding industry, while also providing meaningful opportunities to newcomers and others within Ontario.”

“As Milton’s population grows four times faster than the provincial average, our government is working with labour and industry partners to open up new training and apprenticeship opportunities for local workers and jobseekers,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government is proud to support CWB’s program by investing over $550,000 through the Skills Development Fund to create more training options for welders, so that together we can build Milton and drive Ontario’s economy.”