Education · 1 of 4

The path

A union apprenticeship. You apply to the lodge, not to a company.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   Grade 12 with math and shop. Physical fitness matters.

2. 2

   Apply to a Boilermakers lodge

   Months, sometimes longer

   Lodge 128 covers Ontario, Lodge 146 covers Alberta, other lodges cover BC, the Prairies, Quebec and the Maritimes. Intake opens when work is busy. Welding experience or a welding certificate helps you get picked.

3. 3

   Register the apprenticeship

   Days

   The lodge registers you with the provincial trades authority, for example Skilled Trades Ontario or Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.

4. 4

   Work and study

   3 to 4 years

   In Ontario, 6,600 hours: 5,880 on the job, dispatched from the hall to shutdowns and construction jobs, plus 720 in school across three blocks of about 8 weeks. Alberta runs a 3-year, 3-period program. Rigging, welding, fitting and blueprint reading.

5. 5

   Certificate of Qualification and Red Seal

   After your hours

   Pass the exam. Boilermakers follow work between provinces more than almost any trade, so the Red Seal endorsement is nearly standard.