SMART Canada is equipping the next generation of skilled tradespeople with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.
Jack Wall
Director of Canadian Affairs, SMART Canada
The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART Canada) represents more than 17,000 highly skilled tradespeople across the country, including sheet metal workers, roofers, sheeters and deckers, welders, gas fitters, production workers, and air balancing technicians. Our members build, install, and maintain HVAC systems that keep Canadians cool in the summer and warm in the winter, improving indoor air quality in hospitals, schools, office buildings, and more. They also install roofing systems that protect infrastructure from the elements, helping improve building durability.
Investing in the next generation of skilled tradespeople
Education and workforce development remain among our organization’s greatest strengths. Our four- to five-year apprenticeship combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, allowing apprentices to earn while they learn and work toward a nationally recognized Red Seal certification.
We also invest in our members’ success through state-of-the-art training facilities across Canada, including Ontario’s dedicated sheet metal training centre. These facilities provide industry-leading instruction that helps members build skills, adapt to new technologies, and advance throughout their careers.
As governments invest in housing, infrastructure, and sustainable construction, demand for skilled tradespeople continues to rise. These projects create new opportunities for our members and highlight the skilled trades as a rewarding, well-paying, and long-term career path for Canadians seeking meaningful work.
Green Futures Training Partnership: Training for tomorrow
SMART Canada is helping lead the transition to a low-carbon economy through the Green Futures Training Partnership, a national initiative developed in collaboration with Canada’s Building Trades Unions, SkillPlan, and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation. Supported through the Government of Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program — Sustainable Jobs stream, the project aims to modernize training for the next generation of members. The initiative builds upon existing apprenticeship programs by digitizing learning resources, strengthening green training, and developing a national green certification for the sheet metal trade. Apprentices, journeypersons, and trainers will gain enhanced technical knowledge, climate literacy, and the practical skills needed to meet evolving environmental and energy-efficiency standards. By investing in innovative training today, we’re preparing members to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow’s construction sector.
“The Green Futures Training Partnership is an important investment in the future of our trade,” says Jack Wall, Director of Canadian Affairs at SMART Canada. “By modernizing apprenticeship training, developing a national green certification, and expanding access to innovative learning opportunities, this initiative will help ensure sheet metal workers have the skills needed to meet the demands of a changing construction industry and a low-carbon economy. Built through collaboration with trainers and industry experts across Canada, this project reflects SMART’s commitment to delivering high-quality training that supports workforce development and creates opportunities for the next generation of skilled tradespeople.”
A win for workers, employers, and communities
The Green Futures Training Partnership will deliver benefits across the construction industry. Workers gain access to modernized training and expanded career opportunities, while contractors benefit from a highly skilled workforce prepared to meet increasingly ambitious environmental and energy-efficiency requirements. Communities also benefit through cleaner air systems, improved building performance, and more sustainable infrastructure.
The initiative reflects growing interest among apprentices in sustainability and environmental responsibility. Today’s workforce wants to contribute to cleaner, more efficient communities, and training programs are evolving to support that goal. Through ongoing investment in education and innovation, SMART Canada is ensuring workers have the tools and knowledge required to succeed in a rapidly changing industry while supporting Canada’s sustainability objectives.
Why choose a career in the skilled trades?
There has never been a better time to pursue a career in the skilled trades. Apprentices earn competitive wages and benefits, contribute to a pension plan from day one, gain hands-on experience across unique projects, and have access to ongoing education throughout their careers.
Working on everything from HVAC systems and architectural sheet metal to roofing systems, industrial construction, and major infrastructure projects, members develop valuable skills while enjoying workplace protections and long-term career stability. Initiatives such as the Green Futures Training Partnership are helping ensure our workforce is prepared for new technologies and evolving industry demands. For Canadians seeking a career that offers purpose, security, growth, and the opportunity to help build a more sustainable future, the skilled trades aren’t an alternative — they’re a first choice.
Visit SMART Canada | SMART Union to learn more.
