News Article

Sheet metal workers in high demand


2/9/2009 11:00:12 AM


Sheet Metal Worker graduates from College of the North have little difficulty finding employment after graduation. From left, Matthew Jenkins, John Walsh and Steven Day are three graduates employed at the Cape Scott Navy facility in Halifax in the sheet metal field.


Matthew Jenkins of Springdale puts the skills acquired from College of the North Atlantic’s Sheet Metal Worker program to good use at the Cape Scott Navy facility in Halifax.

“Graduates of College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Sheet Metal worker program are in high demand.” So says Dave Kenway, an instructor of the Sheet Metal Worker program at the college’s Burin campus.

CNA’s Sheet Metal Worker program prepares trainees for employment opportunities in sheet metal work. Students learn to design, fabricate, assemble, install and repair sheet metal products required in a wide variety of industries and settings.

“These products will be fabricated from galvanized metal, aluminum, stainless steel, copper, brass, nickel and steel, all of which are used in the oil, shipbuilding, ship repair, and construction industries right here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Kenway.

“You could be making anything from these types of metals such as HVAC systems, solar heating and cooling systems, metal cabinets, lockers and architectural products. Another big demand comes from the food and hospital industry for specialty items such as cabinets, counter tops and custom built tables which are found in galleys and laboratories.

“When you mention sheet metal work, people automatically think duct work but there is a really wide range of products you could work on. The trade is not understood. It’s almost like a carpenter and steel worker combined. We work with material that is 1/8 of an inch thick or less, but we also do welding and oxy-fuel cutting.”

Kenway has been in the industry for almost 30 years and says there is currently a high demand for skilled workers.

“I know firsthand because I am getting calls for my students even before they finish the program. These are calls from here in Newfoundland and Labrador and also from the federal government in Halifax at the Navy facility,” continues Kenway.

“A few years ago there wasn’t such a demand so students aren’t aware of the opportunities the trade offers right now. A lot of local sheet metal workers are retiring and that means positions are opening. A lot of students who recently completed the program are hoping to fill these positions right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Last year all of my students were contacted for work in places like British Columbia, Ontario, Halifax and Newfoundland and Labrador. I didn’t have enough students to fill the jobs last year and this year will be the same.”

Twenty-year-old Bradley Critch of Lamaline on the Burin Peninsula, enrolled in the program in 2007.

“I was going to do welding, but after talking to the sheet metal instructor, it caught my interest. The more I did it, the more I liked it,” says Critch.

“I enjoyed the program and I enjoy working with my hands. I wouldn’t be able to sit down at a desk all day, so this is a good fit. The program was good because any problems we had, the instructors always had an answer. If you needed any help they were always there to lend a helping hand.”

Critch has been employed at Tristar Mechanical in St. John’s since February 2008.

“I would encourage other people to take this program – actually I did and a couple of them are working with me now.”

Matthew Jenkins, 26, from Springdale, started the program in September 2008.

“I had a couple of friends going in to do welder/metal fabricator. I was going to do the same program and found out it was full. I had asked what they had in a metal trade and they said sheet metal worker. I had a look at the calendar and at the courses, realized it looked good and signed up for it right then.”

It’s a decision he hasn’t regretted.

“I’ve enjoyed the program. I learned how to make fittings and do blueprint readings as well as a lot of other skills that really came in handy when I started work,” says Jenkins.

“I really liked the instructors. I never had any trouble with them and Dave was very pleasant. He had no trouble taking the time for you if you needed help. I found all my instructors the same – they gave you assistance if you needed it. CNA is one of the better places I’ve gone to school.”

In 2000 Jenkins completed computer programming at a different institution.

“The instructors I had previously were too busy and never had time to show you how to do things one-on-one, but Dave seemed to make the time. He would explain exactly what you were doing wrong and how to get around what you were doing wrong. He showed us the tricks of the trade,” he says.

“I really like metal and working with my hands and that is why I attempted to do welding. I found out from the program that I am not the best welder. I enjoyed the Sheet Metal Worker program because it gives you the hands-on metal trade work. It’s finer work – it makes you look at making things as accurately as possible – and I really like that part of it.”

According to Jenkins, he pursued a career in the sheet metal industry after having difficulty finding a job as a computer programmer. The complete opposite was true of his job hunt in the sheet metal industry.

“Technically I wasn’t even graduated when I was offered my current job. I was supposed to graduate on June 23 and I was offered my job on June 19 with Cape Scott in Halifax. By that time I had already finished all of my work. I had really good marks so once I had everything straightened away I was out of there the next day and the instructors had no problem letting me leave a little early.”

Jenkins is employed by the Department of National Defense, Cape Scott facility, where he uses the skills obtained at CNA for ship ventilation and heating, air filtration units, an so on.

“There’s usually a constant need for lockers, containers and work stations. Essentially anything you can think of that can be made out of 1/8 thick material we make. There are things that you wouldn’t think are made of metal – we do those. We do bulkheads, non-structural walls to make different compartments. Just today I was working on the mounts for hazmat suit locations,” continues Jenkins.

“There’s any number of different things I could be working on - I’m never doing the same job over and over. One day I could be making set of lockers for a ship while another day I would be taking apart the series of decks on a ship so they can lift a generator out from a lower deck. It’s not the kind of job where it’s the same thing over and over and I really enjoy that there is variety. I’ve done jobs where I’ve done the same thing day in and day out. But not here – I enjoy that it isn’t monotonous.”

In his department there are two other graduates from CNA’s Sheet Metal Worker program and he continuously urges other people to pursue this field.

“I have recommended this course to a lot of people – including my little sister. She hasn’t gone for it yet but I keep at her. I know that there’s going to be a lot of work coming up for sheet metal workers – not just here, but other places. In my shop we have 29 people. In next six years 12-13 will retire so that’s almost half of the shop. That’s just in my shop.”

In fact he recently returned to CNA on a recruiting mission.

“I went trade recruiting in January to Corner Brook and Stephenville Crossing looking for more trades people for the dock yard. Essentially we did a presentation to show what we do here. It was varied because it wasn’t just focused on sheet metal. The presentation gave an overview of the kind of work that we do and what the Navy expects from maintenance facilities.”

For more information about the Sheet Metal Worker program at CNA log on to www.cna.nl.ca or call the Burin campus at (709) 891-5600.

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For more information contact:
Glenda McCarthy
Public Information Officer
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca