Burlington Transit: our Centre is easily accessible by public transit with a bus stop within 200 metres. For Burlington Transit bus information, please visit their website:
www.burlingtontransit.ca
GO Transit: our Centre is within 3 km of both Burlington and Appleby GO Stations. From each of the GO Stations there is a direct Burlington Transit bus. For more information about GO Transit, please visit their website:
www.gotransit.com
Centre for Skills is not a Private Career College.
Each skilled trades instructor has the Certificate of Qualification in their trade, a minimum of 10 years’ industry experience, and Train the Trainer training. Many of our instructors have additional certifications and training related to teaching and their trade.
Each class has a maximum of 20 students and one or two instructors, for a student:teacher ratio ranging from 10:1 to 20:1.
The curriculum is set; however, our small class sizes allow for some individual customization. If you feel you would need more individualized training, please contact us before your program starts.
Accommodations are based on individual needs.
To successfully complete the in-class portion of our program you need to have a 70% average in the course work. This is consistent with the expectations of apprenticeship programs in Ontario.
Make-up exams can be completed at the discretion of the instructors.
There is no formal appeals process. However, the nature of trades programs lend themselves to more objective marking.
All of our full-time programs include job search assistance to successful graduates (students who have not missed more than 30 hours of class and maintain an average of at least 70%). The goal of the Job Development Team at our Centre is to help you find your first paid work experience related to your training. Our Centre also offers job coaching to help you transition into your new career.
During the program you will meet one-on-one with a professional to create a specialized resume. Staff will work with you to create a resume that highlights your skills, experience and current training to prepare you for your job searching in the industry. You will also have access to a variety of workshops to help you prepare to job search and work in the industry.
The instructional methods for each class are generally 70-80% hands-on, shop floor training and learning plus 20-30% in-class, verbal instruction.
The employers range from large international organizations to smaller independent companies.
Our Centre has a longstanding history working with employers throughout the Hamilton, Halton and Peel regions. We regularly consult with employers in the community to make sure that our course material is relevant and meets industry needs.
Yes, every year we follow the standardized assessment system created by the Ministry of Education which covers 4 key areas:
- Communication
- Knowledge
- Thinking
- Application.
Our Centre reviews our skilled trades programs at least once per year. Each time we conduct a review we collect feedback from employers, graduates and current students.
Tuition includes all of your personal protective equipment, textbooks, tools and parking in addition to safety training including First Aid, CPR and Fall Arrest. There are no additional costs. Students are issued a T2202A form for their tuition for income tax purposes.
There may be costs for certification beyond the pre-apprenticeship training, depending on the course.
Additional supplies are not necessary. The program provides neccessary materials, tools, and protective equipment.
Our Centre has a Resource Centre where students have access to computers, telephones, fax machines, photocopiers and other resources.
Centre for Skills has been offering these programs since 1997.
No, all students are required to demonstrate knowledge of the course material in class.
A High School Diploma is not required. Although you do not require a diploma to complete our Skilled Trades Training, a high school diploma or equivalent is required to be signed an apprentice in many of the skilled trades.
None of this is required for the in-class portion of our Skilled Trades Training Programs; however, an employer may require that the student meet some of the noted criteria for work.
Upon completion of a Skilled Trades Training Program, students will receive a certificate of completion and a transcript which indicates their achievement in each subject along with class hours completed.
There are some assignments outside of regular class work that represent trade-specific, theory-based learning in order to prepare students for upcoming classes.