Union-supported drywall training centre opens in Sudbury
NOCN staff writer
A new drywall and interior systems training centre will be opening for northern Ontario construction apprentices in September.
The centre, operated by Local 2486 of the carpenters union, will operate from the union’s training centre in Azilda, in the Sudbury area.
“It will be the only training centre for the drywall trade north of Toronto and northwest of Ottawa,” said Tom Cardinal, the Northern Ontario manager of the Carpenters District Council of Ontario. “Now, students won’t have to travel to Toronto, Hamilton or Ottawa for training,” he said in a news release reported in The Sudbury Star.
The Ontario Ministry of Training, colleges and University has approved funding for the program. The training centre will be a satellite training centre of the Ottawa Walls and Ceilings Training Centre.
Cardinal said the region can “easily use another 100 drywall mechanics.” Construction projects at Vale, Xstrata Nickel, FNX Mining Company and Cliffs Natural Resources are among several initiatives that could generate up to $6 billion or more in work.
The eight-week program costs eight weeks, including a placement before, between and after training, the newspaper reported. Trade apprentices earn about $2675 an hour, Cardinal said. Journeymen with red seals can earn about $44.99.
