Pre-Trades/Technology

Drawn to the trades but torn between electrical, mechanical and carpentry work? Pre-Trades/Technology is a one-year Ontario College Certificate, taught over two semesters at Cambrian College’s Barrydowne campus in Sudbury, and Cambrian describes it as the preferred designated preparatory programme for admission to its trades and technology programmes. It lets you sharpen your technical, math and English skills while you sample each field.

Semester one combines Applied Technology I with Exploring Careers in Trades and Tech, Electrical for Trades and Tech, Science for Trades and Tech, Computers for Trades and Tech, Math for Trades and Tech I and Foundations of College English. In semester two you move on to Applied Technology II, Physics for Trades and Tech, Math for Trades and Tech II, Safety in the Workplace, Computer-Aided Drafting I and College Communications, plus a general education course. Together these courses build the drafting, measurement, calculation and safety habits that later diplomas and apprenticeships expect.

Cambrian pairs classroom theory with hands-on training in its labs and trade shops, and past projects have included framing and roofing a shed and repairing the engine of a snowmobile. While enrolled, students can take IHSA industry certification courses at reduced rates. After completing the certificate, graduates can apply to programmes in Cambrian’s School of Skills Training and Schools of Engineering Technology, arriving with a clearer sense of which trade fits them.

Graduates can step into entry-level roles such as construction labourer, maintenance helper, shop assistant, pre-apprentice helper or building supplies associate, though many continue straight into a Cambrian trades or technology diploma. Pre-Trades/Technology suits hands-on learners who want to rebuild their math and English, try electrical, mechanical and carpentry work in a supported setting, and then choose a trade with confidence.