TRAINING UPDATE

International Cooperation

From October 6 to October 8, we are holding a Train-the-Trainer for Tube & Clamp Scaffolding at Ambercroft. Four of our instructors plus others from three other locals are attending the program. The instructors for the course come from the New England Training Fund in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. (It was difficult for them to get away with the Boston Red Sox in the baseball playoffs.)

The instructors from New England are here courtesy of the Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund. This is the second time Laborers-AGC has helped us with a Train-the-Trainer here. On other occasions we have sent our instructors to programs in the U.S.

On October 7, while the New Englanders are here, we are hosting three people from the Philadelphia Training Fund. They are here to learn about our Exhibits & Displays training. We expect to have Ted Gedney, our master instructor in Exhibits & Displays go to Philadelphia to help them set up training for that sector in Philadelphia.

It’s unusual to have two sets of visitors at the same time, but it’s not unusual for American Laborers to help Canadian Labourers – and vice versa – especially in matters related to training.

Union Hall Renovations

Local 506 members who have visited the Union Hall lately will have seen the Pharmacy, the Optometrists’ office, and the Rehabilitation (Physiotherapy) Clinic located downstairs. These renovations required moving the Union Hall classrooms.

We have been using temporary space for our Saturday morning classes in Fall Arrest, Propane Safety and WHMIS. However, we will soon have four new classrooms and a storage space at the west end of the building. The space may allow us to expand our training delivery in Downsview in the future.

Kudos to the Local 506 Executive Board for their help with this.