Trades centre expected to open in downtown Sydney next year

Elsie Furlong, left, who attends BGC Cape Breton youth club, learns about pipefitting from Tom Rockett, a pipefitter and welder, as Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, and Rebecca Dort, Youth Engagement Lead with the Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council, look on. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia)

As demand for skilled trades workers continues across Nova Scotia, a new training and career exploration hub is coming to downtown Sydney.

The Cape Breton Trades Exhibition Centre, expected to open in 2027, will give visitors hands-on access to construction trades, apprenticeship pathways and industry training opportunities while helping connect employers with future talent.

“Our government is investing in the people who are building Nova Scotia,” said Nolan Young, minister of labour, skills and immigration, in a news release from the province.

“With a permanent home now identified in Sydney, the new Cape Breton Trades Exhibition Centre will make it easier for young people, mid-career workers, veterans and newcomers to explore rewarding careers in the trades close to home and help employers find the talent they need.”

The centre is the second of its kind in the province and will be located at 147 Prince St.

It will feature 15 interactive trade booths representing construction careers across the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sectors. The plan is to also include classroom space for apprenticeship training and upgrading, and a testing centre for exams.

The province says about $6 million of their $10-million investment in the construction industry, announced in 2025, has been allocated to “obtain, renovate and operate the new centre over five years.”

“Seeing is believing. The Cape Breton Trades Exhibition Centre provides a unique opportunity to individuals to explore the world of possibilities in the construction industry,” said Duncan Williams, president and CEO of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia, in the release.

“Being able to use real tools and simulators opens possibilities that a young person may not have ever had a chance to experience before. There is nothing that replaces hands-on experience.”The province expects approximately 25,000 visitors in the first five years through school visits, community groups and public outreach.

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