November 21, 2025
YOUTH ACROSS THE PROVINCE are finding new pathways to get involved in the trades, thanks in part to a new hands-on program.
The Youth Trade Sampler program, run as a partnership between the UA Piping Industry College of BC College of the BC Building Trades and the Vancouver School launched their first-ever semester-long program this September.
The program offers approved students the opportunity to earn high school credits while gaining valuable skills in the trades, says Will Schwarz, executive director of Apprenticeship and Training with the UA Piping Industry College of BC “The program is opening students’ eyes to the world of construction for skilled trades,” he adds. “It’s really giving them the opportunity to try each trade specifically and see what they like.”
The program first lays the foundation by working on students’ basic employability skills, including resume building, conflict resolution and tutoring in math and sciences, Schwarz explains. Students then move on to training in trade-specific disciplines.
Through partnerships with SkillPlan, Trowel Trades Training Association, Electrical Joint Training Committee, Heat and Frost Training Center, Finishing Trades Institute of BC and the BC Building Trades students have opportunities to try out a wide variety of skills, including but not limited to insulating, electrical work, ironwork, bricklaying, painting, piping, and sheet metal.
For piping specifically, Schwarz says there are many exciting opportunities for students. “We teach them how to thread pipe… solder and braze, as well as some of the math that’s involved in doing the takeoff’s and calculations… We also get out and do the hands-on practical training [including] getting students into the welding booth.”
Feedback has so far been quite positive, he says. “The students have been extremely happy… the seats [for the program] are very highly prized.”
Seventeen students are currently registered in the program this semester. Schwarz adds that for students who are successful in their Try-a-Trade program, the UA Piping Industry College of BC could financially support students through their first year of apprentice school training.
But launching the Youth Trade Sampler program hasn’t been without its challenges. It is currently almost entirely federally funded through the Union Training and Innovation Program, Schwarz says, adding that there has been a lack of provincial funding in recent years that has shuttered many other similar programs run out of other local schools. “This is one of the only [programs] I’ve heard of offered in this format… many of the high school programs in the past were supported by Skilled Trades BC through the province — now that funding isn’t there anymore.”
Despite these challenges, Schwarz says that getting young people connected with the trades is crucial. “As the Baby Boomers are retiring, we’ve got this wave of members that are leaving [positions that will need to be filled],” he says. “Younger generations are so important for our trade and our unions going forward.”
The BC, composed Building Trades (BCBT) Trade Ambassador program — which is made up of young members of the building trades who volunteer to visit schools across the province to talk with students, is another recent project aimed at getting youth interested in the trades.
Though the two programs are not directly linked, Schwarz says that they both provide opportunities for students to explore future career options in the industry. “The Trade Ambassador Program sheds a light on an area that [students] might not consider and provides pathways for more information… the Trade Sampler program is this big intermediary step [to help students explore those interests].”
Trade ambassadors like Nikki Pasqualini travel to high schools across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to speak with grade 10 students about the trades, apprenticeships and the Red Seal process, and even play games to teach them more about the industry.
“I have absolutely loved the Trade Ambassador Program. It is something I really look forward to… and I think getting that word out there has been really important,” Pasqualini says.
Pasqualini, now 26 years old, has been working in sheet metal since she was a high school student herself. “I wanted to get a summer job at an ice cream shop in my city. My dad [who worked in sheet metal] had to take time off to take me there. His boss told him ‘If she doesn’t get the job, send her here, I’ll put her to work.”
From there, Pasqualini says things really took off. She started working in sheet metal during summer breaks, began her apprenticeship after graduation, and got her Red Seal at age 21.
Pasqualini says she’s happy to get the word out. “I don’t think they talk about trades enough [in high school],” she adds. “This way we get to give them a rundown of different trades that are available in [the industry] and tell them about their options… being in the trades has taught me a lot… it’s made me a much stronger person in so many ways, especially physically… and the money is definitely worth it.”
Layne Clark, director of workforce development for the BCBT and one of the leads of the Trade Ambassador program, says that the program, now in its third year, is busier than ever. “We’ve trained about 40 young people to go into high schools, last year we spoke to almost 10,000 students… doubled from the year before,” Clark adds. “We haven’t even had to do outreach to high schools, they’re just flying to us to ask for this presentation.”
When students attend the College of the BC Building Trades, Clark adds that they benefit from being directly tied in with the union. “You get employment from the union and trained by the union, so you’re never on your own. The union basically takes care of the entire life cycle of an apprentice journey.”
She says that the Trade Ambassador program, and now the new Youth Trade Sampler Program, are filling pivotal gaps in our system. “A lot of trade programs have been cut from high schools… so we’re looking at all different ways to open that door for people, whether that be the Trade Ambassador Program or whether it’s these Try-a-Trade programs.”
For high school students curious about a career in the trades or who may be interested in applying for the Youth Trades Sampler Program, Schwarz adds, “I would tell them to come in with an open mind… and try all of these programs that are available to see what really works [for them].”
By Maddi Dellplain