Training

Our commitment to member training and upgrading is unmatched. The United Association commits 200 million per year to training.

We’ve expanded our welding centre from 22 to 34 bays, and have completed a 55,000 sq.ft. Alberta Pipe Trade College that is currently training Alberta Pipe trades apprenticeships.

Our Education Department trains and upgrades 2,600 members a year. It will also deliver full apprenticeship training to as many as 1,500 people a year.

Local 488 invests heavily in training – Alberta Pipe Trade College will bring our total training investment to well over $30 million. Our annual budget for welding training alone is over $500,000.

With few exceptions, training is provided to members at no-or-low cost, during evenings and weekends.

Why is training so important to us? The better our members are trained, the more often they’ll work, and the more competitive our employers will be in the marketplace.

Training is a key ingredient in making the union-employer relationship a win-win partnership!