Atlantic Boom: Part II

Atlantic harmonization and COVID-19 have forced NBCC and NSCC to rethink skilled trades training

NBCC CNC machinist program

Students in the NBCC CNC machinist program: (from left) Shawn deGooyer, Vu (Chris) Bui, Nick Bingham, Thomas Frumkin, Joe Brothers, Alexandre Gionet, and Andrew Breau. NBCC

In Part II of this two-part series we look at how two colleges, New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), rose to historical challenges of skilled trades training in Atlantic Canada and adapted their skilled trades training to better meet industry and student needs.

New Brunswick Community College (NBCC)

Students looking to take on a CNC machinist program can attend NBCC for the English program or Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) for a francophone speaking program. Regardless of the college, in New Brunswick, there is no shortage of work for skilled trades graduates, especially those in the metalworking and machinist programs.

"We have good success getting our students employed," said Greg Currie, instructor, CNC machinist program, NBCC. "Our students come from the oneyear machine shop program and take their second year with us. Over the past few years, we are seeing much more automation and a significant shift in production from our industry partners. I’ve been at this for quite a while now, and we’ve seen industry evolve from large batches to small-quantity runs on more complex, multiaxis equipment."

This means that students need to have a more versatile skill set, including multiple setups and all that comes with that. As graduates gain experience, they fill a variety of job positions, but first and foremost they must be able to operate machines and produce good parts.

"These last few years have definitely pushed us to make students’ skill sets more versatile and adaptable to changing market conditions," said Currie.

One way the college is doing this is through cutting-edge technology. For example, NBCC was one of the first colleges in Canada to purchase a CNC turning centre with live tooling capability back in the early 2000s.

"We’ve been very fortunate," Currie said. "Our college system has invested in new equipment over the years. We strive to provide our students with a very firm and strong foundation that industry can build upon with whatever skills that they want our students to have."

An ongoing challenge in the trades is that students don’t get informed enough to what this career path entails. In the past few years, the school systems have done a good job of introducing some of the trades, but students don’t always have access to shop in high school or a peer group interested in machining.

"With today’s students we are starting with a more challenging and entry-level skill set, and we’re still expected to bring them up to the skill set industry wants," said Currie. "It’s a challenge, but one we are up to."

To help bring the trades to prospective students, the college bought a training trailer, outfitted with basic skilled trades equipment and information, that they can tow around and set up in a schoolyard or for a career day. It’s all about introducing students to this new and exciting career path early enough to allow them to gain the skills to thrive.

NBCC CNC machinist program

The last few years have pushed NBCC to make students’ skill sets more versatile and adaptable to changing market conditions. NBCC

"NBCC has identified a need to reach remote communities and schools without trades programs to promote skilled trades for New Brunswick," said Adam Noseworthy, academic chair, trades: metals processing, NBCC. "There is always a market need for more tradespeople. The Mobile Trades Trailer will allow students who may have never gotten the chance to try different trades to get a feel for them before diving into them as a career choice. It can be used to promote trades at high schools and tradeshows to spark interest for future generations."

Another way the college is supporting youth looking to enter the trades is through the Skills Canada competition.

Many instructors have been part of the National Technical Committee for various trade competitions and promoted them provincially. A few years back the national competition was held in Moncton, so it was a great opportunity to showcase all that the province has to offer in terms of its skilled trades programs and industry careers.

The past couple years have been a challenge. When the pandemic hit, it really changed the way the college approached the program. NBCC made a significant investment in online training technology that provided students with access to the program and the ability to graduate.

Currently the program is delivering its theory online and students have access to labs a couple days or during afternoons, but Currie is looking forward to being back in-house as soon as they are able.

Over the years the college has had virtually 100 per cent employment from its CNC program, and machine shops in the area are always looking for new employees.

"Moncton and New Brunswick are showing that they can be a competitive region for manufacturers," said Currie. "And companies are taking note. A manufacturer of high-end commercial tools for woodworking recently moved its 85,000-sq.-ft. CNC shop from Ontario to Moncton. This is so exciting for us, not only for the immediate work opportunities that they bring in, but also the spinoff. With the pandemic, people and organizations who were located in larger population centres are suddenly looking at new locations, and in New Brunswick, they are finding they can be highly competitive."

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)

The machinist trade is currently going through Atlantic harmonization, and NSCC is working to adapt its pre-employment programs to fit the latest requirements.

"We are definitely seeing a higher level of technological requirements in all trades, but it’s really highlighted in the machining industry," said Angela Graham, manager, School of Trades and Transportation, NSCC, Halifax. "During national harmonization, CNC requirements moved from level four down into level two in the apprenticeship pathway. So this is an emphasis on advancement that is actually taking place right now in this trade and recognized nationwide."

The college has seen a rise in requests from industry for additional CNC training. Andrew Morash, faculty, machining apprenticeship at NSCC, attributes this to the shift in complexity of parts. As parts become more complex, the more shops rely on CNCs to produce them.

Technology requirements NSCC

NSCC is seeing a higher level of technological requirements in all trades, but it's really highlighted in the machining industry. NSCC

"Not only are the machines faster, the parts more complex, but the tool manufacturers have also recognized that and they need to [advance] the tools to be competitive with the machine," said Morash. "We try to bring in the newest technology to our program so that our students are able to see that on a smaller scale so that when they go into the workforce, they are better prepared for what they’re about to see."

Because the technology is being introduced earlier in the trade, NSCC has put in a proposal and been approved to make changes to its current machining diploma program to include an introductory presence of CNC machining at an earlier stage. This newly developed Precision Machining certificate will run this fall at two of its campuses.

"There are so many opportunities right now, especially in Nova Scotia," said Graham. "Our population is growing and it is showing us that this is also increasing the demand for skilled trades."

As part of the pre-employment program, students are required to complete five to six weeks of integrated learning with an industry partner. In the last few years, employers have been reaching out constantly to the college for students.

"Most often students will be hired on full time between year one and two," said Morash. "I had an employer call me recently looking for students, but they were just returning to the classroom. And while I explained this, the employer said they just wanted to be the first on the list for potential hires. I have probably double the amount of employers looking for students than in the past. One of the biggest challenges that the students will have is trying to narrow down the vast number of businesses that will be looking to hire them."

NSCC found that the pandemic presented some challenges in skilled trades training but also a lot of opportunities. Graham credits the instructors with rising to the challenge and finding new ways to innovate and ensure little disruption to student learning.

"In collaboration with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, NSCC piloted different delivery models during the COVID-19 disruptions that may continue going forward," said Graham. "We have an online, fully remote model that is part time and instructor supported. Then we have a blended model where the student will work with the instructor remotely and then come into the campus on specific days for the hands-on learning so they don’t have to leave their hometown and their family for an extended amount of time."

These models have made it more accessible for students across the province to complete the requirements for technical training leading up to their Red Seal endorsement in the machinist trade. Some students have found completely in-person, full-time training challenging and may delay their training for a number of reasons. Whether they couldn’t afford to miss work for the full duration of the training, they lived too far away, or chose not to be away from their families for six to eight weeks, for some students in-person, full-time training presented a challenge.

"There are a few more Red Seal machinists out there because of new training options," said Morash. "Of the models, some students like the online, doing it themselves, and some of them like the remote learning like we’re doing now. We’re trying to accommodate and find the best fit for each apprentice."

The province of Nova Scotia has done a good job attracting new people and has been paying attention to skilled trades and industry, according to Graham. And to help ensure a thriving workforce, the college has focused on making sure that its shops are welcoming, equitable, and psychologically safe.

"That’s a crucial factor when we continue to encourage those that are underrepresented in the trades because it’s a big part of helping increase the field of talent," said Graham. "We need to make sure that we are the training provider of choice by creating a very psychologically safe and barrier-free learning space for all. The next five years are very bright, and we are seeing a lot of growth. It’s time for us to examine our current trades training at the college. We need to really look for those areas that we can strengthen. We need to make sure that we’re listening to industry, that we’re responding to their needs in a timely manner. We need to make sure that we’re providing them with employees that are ready to work."

Morash and Graham both noted that employment prospects in the metalworking trades are booming. Many big employers in the region are offering signing bonuses for new hires and incentive programs for referral hires.

"We’re in a really great place," said Morash. "We just need to make sure that we’re responding to the demand. We’re trying to do as much as we can to try to recruit more people into the machining program because we know there is a huge demand for it."

Associate Editor Lindsay Luminoso can be reached at lluminoso@canadianmetalworking.com.

NBCC, www.nbcc.ca

NSCC, www.nscc.ca

About the Author
Canadian Metalworking / Canadian Fabricating & Welding

Lindsay Luminoso

Associate Editor

1154 Warden Avenue

Toronto, M1R 0A1 Canada

Lindsay Luminoso, associate editor, contributes to both Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Fabricating & Welding. She worked as an associate editor/web editor, at Canadian Metalworking from 2014-2016 and was most recently an associate editor at Design Engineering.

Luminoso has a bachelor of arts from Carleton University, a bachelor of education from Ottawa University, and a graduate certificate in book, magazine, and digital publishing from Centennial College.