June 18, 2019
The CWB Welding Foundation, CWB Group, and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers/Boilermaker’s National Training Trust Fund (IBB/NTTF) partnered to develop a comprehensive, eight-week pressure welding training program called Filling the Gap – Advanced Pressure Welder Training. With $6.6 million in funding from Employment and Social Development Canada, the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) is expected to support 450 participants in five years.
The project has mobilized the significant strengths of all partners—the technical leadership, industry insight, and national presence of the IBB/NTTF; the knowledge and experience of the CWB Group and CWB Education in welding best practices and e-learning program platforms; the collaborative and partner-driven purpose of the CWB Welding Foundation; and networks of partners who advocate for underrepresented groups in the skilled trades—to address several challenges that limit apprenticeship outcomes, specifically in the welding trade.
The social media platform, #WomenOfSteel, and event networking plan aims to engage and unite women in both traditional and non-traditional welding careers across Canada and to highlight and inform experienced and new female welders’ career journeys into welding. Currently over 40 women across Canada are actively involved in the WOS program.
The CWB Welding Foundation’s 30-hour Introduction to Welding Program has been created using the CWB Group’s proprietary “Acorn” learning curriculum. In this, its inaugural year, the IWP will be offered in six cities, inclusive of women across all target demographics. The program has been strategically designed to foster personal and career development for participants while supporting Canadian industry faced with both current and projected shortages of highly skilled employees across welding and associated trades.
The Foundation is actively promoting its Women of Steel: Forging New Opportunities-Introduction to Welding Program (IWP) across the country to raise awareness and increase female employment in the welding sector. Due to the fact that women only comprise about 4.5% of the skilled trades labour pool, it is imperative that the welding industry dedicates the required efforts to recruit more female skilled trades workers and eradicate misconceptions about the trades being a male-dominated environment.
The following list represents the inaugural partners and locations for the 2019 Introduction to Welding Program:
| City | Province/Territory | Host Location | Dates |
| Edmonton | Alberta | Alberta Pipe Trades College | August 5-9, 2019 |
| Tiverton | Ontario | Fanshawe College | August 12-16, 2019 |
| Ottawa | Ontario | Algonquin College | August 19-23, 2019 |
| Regina | Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Polytechnic | August 19-23, 2019 |
| Moncton | New Brunswick | New Brunswick Community College | August 26-30, 2019 |
| Whitehorse | Yukon Territories | Yukon College | September 9-13, 2019 |
About the CWB Welding Foundation
CWB Welding Foundation (CWBWF) is a national not-for-profit charitable organization, working to support and sustain the need for skilled welding professionals in the workforce and contribute to Canada’s economic prosperity.
CWBWF’s mission is to forge partnerships between industry, education and government that enable Canadians to build great careers in the welding industry, through encouraging awareness, training, the promotion of best practices through a quality educational experience, impartial advocacy and greater accessibility for all those interesting in exploring future opportunities in skilled trades and a welding related career.
CWBWF develops and provides educational programs, capital, equipment, consumables and protective equipment that create and upgrade quality learning environments in school technology programs. They provide educator training, awards, and support applied research in post-secondary welding and technology education.