As part of an effort to build and sustain a highly skilled Canadian welding workforce, CWB Welding Foundation is introducing students ages 13-17 to the trade through a Mind Over Metal welding camp for youth, to be held at Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton.
“These camps are designed to provide youth with a hands-on introduction to welding and inspire them to pursue a career in welding. Students build confidence and have fun while being supervised by professionals in a safe environment,” said Susan Crowley, executive director, CWB Welding Foundation. “Through experiential learning opportunities like the Mind Over Metal welding camps, their newly sparked interest in welding may lead to further education and employment.”
CWB Welding Foundation Mind Over Metal camps encourage youth to explore the welding skilled trade through hands-on experiences. The camps bring light to potential career opportunities available in the welding industry and aim to increase the number of individuals in Canada who are entering welding skilled trades training, and work to address the need for skilled welding professionals. The Canadian welding industry provides many great and diverse career opportunities, including welder, welding inspector, in welding research and engineering. The CWB Welding Foundation hosted its first welding camp in Edmonton in the summer of 2014, and to date has completed nearly 170 camps across Canada.
The Fredericton camp will be hosted by Leo Hayes High School. This camp is funded in partnership by the CWB Welding Foundation and the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) and will run for five days starting March 6, 2023.
“It’s very exciting to see this camp take shape here at Leo Hayes. Hopefully, this is the first opportunity of many to get students’ hands on some industry-standard equipment, expand their knowledge of the trade, and allow them to see how challenging and rewarding this kind of work is. Our goal is for students attending this camp to come away with new skills and a realization that there are well-paying jobs for them after high school.” said Joell Gallant, Instructor.
Welding safety, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), introduction to weld symbols, and a brief overview of the impact welding has on our daily lives will be part of the camp. Once the theoretical portion is completed, students will have fun putting their practical welding skills to the test while they create their very own projects like cow bells, and a metal rose.
For more information about camp programming, contact the CWB Welding Foundation at mindovermetal@cwbweldingfoundation.org.
CWB WELDING FOUNDATION
The CWB Welding Foundation is a national not-for-profit charitable organization, working to address the need for skilled welding tradespeople and professionals in the workforce. The future of the welding industry depends on attracting young people to the trade, removing barriers for underrepresented groups to access pathways to training, and supporting their success. Our mission is to forge partnerships between industry, education and government that enable Canadians to build great careers in the welding industry. We do this by developing and delivering educational programs; funding capital, equipment, consumables and protective equipment for quality learning environments in school technology programs; training welding educators; and supporting welding students through bursaries, awards applied research grants. Learn more about our programs, partners and donors at www.cwbweldingfoundation.org.
Joint Economic Development Initiative Inc. (JEDI)
The Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) is a leading Indigenous organization dedicated to working with partners to foster Indigenous economic development in New Brunswick. Founded in 1995 as a tripartite partnership, JEDI provides its clients with a variety of Indigenous business and workforce development services. JEDI serves Indigenous Peoples across New Brunswick and works closely with partners in the public and private sector.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
| Sarah Williams CWB Welding Foundation Manager, Marketing & Communications Phone: 226-314-2356 Sarah.williams@cwbweldingfoundation.org | Heather Pert JEDI, Inc. Communications Manager Work: (506) 444-5650 Ext. 113 Heather.pert@jedinb.ca |