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June 27 - July 4, 2004 |
Construction Now Has Its Own School
Local 183's groundbreaking Life Long Learning Centre offers unique skills for workers
By Francesco Veronesi
Originally Published: 2004-03-07
The primary purpose of the courses held at Vaughan's Local 183 Life Long Learning Centre is to give construction workers the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to be competitive on the labour marketplace. The eight-week course covers all branches of this industry: bricklaying, cement mixing, plumbing, carpentry, ironsmithing, etc.
Specialized workers are trained according to their previous knowledge, categorized in three degrees of skill. "We want to get these guys ready for the job market," says Pietro Cimino, a 30-year veteran of the construction industry and a teacher at the school. "Our courses train both young workers who wish to learn a trade and experienced workers wishing to improve their trade qualification."
In addition to practice, the school gives ample space to theory, in particular on workplace safety: fall protections, scaffolding safety, first aid in case of accidents, appropriate use of tools.
In regards to practical notions, for every sector the school has a specialized teacher. "We follow our students, explaining them step by step what is to be done," continues Cimino, who directed his students in building a real house on the school grounds, "using the same materials and the same tools that they will find on construction sites. This is very important, so they will know exactly what to do when they'll tackle a real job."
At the school, students are faced with different real life situations, ranging from building a house to constructing a bridge, from bricklaying to woodworking. "We try and give them a complete training," says Bruno Fedrigoni, woodworking instructor, "and that is true also for wooden construction. Our industry increasingly needs skilled and flexible workers, able to handle different materials and to help in every phase of a job."
Another objective of the school is the integration between the traditional knowledge of the construction trade and the new technologies. "The secret for training a good worker in this industry," explains Richard Lyall, vice chair of the Centre, "is precisely this: passing on the traditional knowledge, the old 'tricks of the trade' once handed down from father to son, as well as all the tools of modern technology. This means that construction has left behind any improvisation, rejuvenating itself and growing in quality."
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