03/28/2026
I met with a female student from the NSCC carpentry program today. She applied to me for her second work-term. Since I did not go to school or college in Nova Scotia, I asked her what her program included. The shop projects were similar to what I did in the 8-month-long Women in Skilled Trades program in Ontario, back in 2013. The program also included Fall Arrest/ Working at Heights training which was not stated on her resume, and I said she should add it because that together with First Aid is something I look for. But a lot of local employers don’t. That was also my own experience before I became self-employed. And a lot of them don’t reply to applications either.
She told me that the in-class blocks for the carpentry apprenticeship are now offered at NSCC Pictou campus. That’s awesome!!! For the longest time apprentices had to go to Halifax. At some point, there was the option to do the classes online, but you miss out on the shop part that is very important in my opinion. Driving every day for 6 or 8 weeks to Halifax or renting short-term accommodation while missing out on wages is not a viable option for every apprentice. Besides, taking the classes usually comes with a fee. In Ontario, 10-12 years ago, it was $400 per block.
If you think now, well, don’t they have to? No, carpentry is a trade that unlike plumbing and electrical does not require licensing. Anyone can call themselves a carpenter. The apprenticeship is optional. Going to all classes and passing the written exam at the end of each block gives one the title of General Carpenter. Signing up for and writing the Red Seal exam is yet another separate step and it is not taken at the college. There is no practical test. The practice part is that the apprentice has to work a certain number of hours and the employer must sign off on those. How much “training” happens during those hours is in the hands of the employer.
I loved the in-class blocks. Apart from “the concrete guys” (they were voluntold), the apprentices were ambitious and skilled. I love reading books and I was pretty good at memorizing them, too. I love learning and I learnt a lot! I even read the book about concrete from cover to cover, and it was fascinating, even though I have never been involved in a sizeable concrete project. One of my instructors in the women’s program suggested that we stay away from roofing and concrete (meaning high-rises, foundations etc.), and I have tried to stick to that as much as possible.
I asked most of the questions in my classes because, you know, men are less likely to admit they didn’t get something or don’t know everything. I think the male apprentices (I was the only woman in a class of 24) appreciated me being the one who asked, lol. (Most men love when you ask them questions, so why can’t they asked each other?). I was great with the theory; a lot of the men were better in the practice. I only framed houses during my apprenticeship. I knew that framing alone did not make me a good carpenter. I quit my job the same day I took the final exam. The job that I started next gave me the practice from framing right through to the finishing touches, every step of the way. And I had a boss who was okay with things taking a bit of extra time if they turned out great. Win-win.
Since carpentry is a voluntary trade, colleges have more freedom to choose what they teach to what extent. Of course, they try to cover it all, but some things can only be touched on briefly. Or you could say they are taking a gamble. Apparently, in Ontario, the administration that handled the Red Seal Exams didn’t want the colleges to know what the exam is like. Several good tradespeople fail the Red Seal exam because of how it is worded which is a shame. I did help my instructors out a little. I memorized more than half the questions of the exam and wrote them down for them afterwards. 😊
