More About the Trades

Be it in hands-on shop fabricating or fields installations, as a service technician, supervisor, project manager, estimator, designer, engineer or administrative manager, your role will offer you the diversity of working with our commercial, industrial, institutional, utility and government clients.

With a network of more than 20 offices across Canada and the United States, Black & McDonald presents many career and location options.

Why Work in the Trades?
Where do I start?
Where can I find More Information?

Why Work in the Trades?

Why? Because Trades-people:

Can start earning money while being trained
Are able to work and learn the trade at the same time
Have many job opportunities around the world
Earn a very good wage
Have a high rate of job satisfaction
Are very important to our economy
Have flexibility to make decisions in their daily tasks
Are offered a broad diversity in their work environments while providing services for our industrial, commercial, institutional or government clients
Ensure these systems are maintained and operate trouble free
Permit cities, communities, large and small companies to expand

Where do I Start?

Several colleges offer programs in the trade's fields. These programs vary in length and difficulty and entry criteria. Trades-people must be able to interact and work with others as a team. All trades at Black & McDonald require apprenticeship & certification.

You can start by sending a resume to the Human Resource Department at Black & McDonald. (Please Indicate that you would like to start as an apprentice.)

Apprenticeships:

For those who have completed high school, apprenticeships are also offered by colleges or any company that employs trades-people. Black & McDonald offers & provides this type of training. Apprenticeships range from 3.5 to 5 years in length and often result in a full-time job once completed. In order to start an apprenticeship an employer who is willing to train must first be found.

Requirements for Black & McDonald
Apprenticeships:

A High School Diploma
All apprentices are hired through local unions Hiring Halls
Before working on site, a safety and Orientation course must be taken.
A WHMIS (Workplace Hazard Materials Information System) course must be completed.
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is required for all jobs.
Apprentices will become a member in their trade union.
A first-aid & CPR course will be taken once an apprenticeship has begun.

Skill Trade Schools in Canada

Check your local college for trades programs.

Trade Certification:

In order to get certification a Provincial Qualification Exam will be written and must be passed at the end of the apprenticeship.

Trades at Black & McDonald are:

Construction Boilermaker
Construction Millwright
Electrician
Network Cabling Specialist
Line worker
Pipe fitter
Plumber
Power Systems Engineers
Power Systems Technologists
Refrigeration and A/C Mechanic
Sheet Metal Worker
Sprinkler and Fire Protection Installer
Steam fitter
Gas fitter
Ironworker
Laborer
Utility Worker
Welders

Where can I find More Information?

Click the links to take a look at the following web sites or talk to your school's guidance counselor to get more information.

Black & McDonald's depth of experience has made us the partner of choice across a wide range of industries. To get there took time and effort. Our management team invested in the development of our people,determined to make our highly-experienced tradespeople renowned as the best in their industries.

With over 85 years of documented lessons learned, we are able to consistently apply that knowledge - meeting our customer's most demanding challenges, in their most critical environments.