Native Residential Construction Worker

The NRCW workers are trained in all aspects of residential construction, from roofing to cement work to flooring installation. The Native Residential Construction Worker is truly a jack-of-all-trades.

Starting with excavating a site to building a foundation, Native Residential Construction Workers rough in frames, do electrical and plumbing work and pour cement for foundations. Once the structure is completed, these tradespeople then install both exterior and interior fittings. On the exterior of a house, they add siding, soffits, and prefabricated chimneys. They also do complete interior finishing as well, installing kitchen cabinets, laying tiling and carpets, finishing electrical work, and building and installing stairways. Native Residential Construction Workers also manage construction projects.

Getting Started

A minimum of 16 years of age and completion of Grade 12 or Ministry-approved equivalent is required. Prospective apprentices should have some English, mathematics, and science high school courses. If you need to upgrade or add to your secondary school experience, see Recommended high-school courses to help prepare for an apprenticeship as a Native Residential Construction Worker. Pre-apprenticeship programs are available for certain trades, which can give you a head start on your apprenticeship and may make you more attractive to a potential employer.

Training Program Details

In learning this trade you will complete: About 2 years (4000 hours), which includes 480 hours in-class training

The Native Residential Construction Worker Apprenticeship is based on competencies through demonstrated skills, rather than a fixed number of hours on the job; however, the benchmark is 4,000 hours. The apprenticeship becomes complete when the apprentice has achieved competency in all of the on-the-job performance objectives and when both levels of in-school training have been successfully completed.

Apprentices will learn how to:

• follow best health and safety practices
• read and interpret blueprints and diagrams
• perform site planning and excavation, including staking out excavation site
• build foundations, including calculating volume of concrete required
• rough-in framing structures, including the use of correct tools and procedures
• construct roofing systems, including lifting trusses on top of wall structures and establishing the location of attic access
• rough-in electrical service and wiring and plumbing and drain work, including locating and nailing outlet boxes for plugs, switches and lights
• pour basement floors
• install exterior siding and soffits
• install pre-fabricated chimneys
• complete interior finishing, including applying drywall, installing doors and window trims, and applying wood finishes
• finish electricals, including installing plugs and switches
• install kitchen cabinets, including kitchen countertops and sinks
• install flooring, including baseboard and trims
• landscape sites, including applying finishing grades and top soils
• construct and install stairways
• manage construction projects, including preparing and implementing project timelines, supervising and monitoring work performed by interpreting blueprints and drawings, and sub-contracting (tendering requirements)

Upon completion of the NRCW apprenticeship, the participant would be able to register as a General Carpenter apprentice. Upon the successful completion of the program and passing an examination, a person working in this trade is entitled to a Certificate of Apprenticeship and a Certificate of Qualification.

Wayne Zimmer, Coordinator of Apprenticeship Programs

PH: 807-468-3096 Fax: 807-468-7358

E-mail: waynez@7generations.org