Free eight-week program in Ottawa teaches students homebuilding basics

A new group of graduates is celebrating the completion of the YMCA’s free eight-week homebuilding course. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

A homebuilding program in Ottawa is teaching students the skills needed to build on a career in the trades, at no cost to the students.

On Friday, 21 students graduated from the National Capital Region YMCA’s eight-week Home Builders Training Program. According to the YMCA, there is no cost to participate in the program and it “equips newcomers and other job seekers with the skills and connections to launch careers in the skilled trades.”

“They’re learning the fundamentals, the basics,” said Kevin Dwyer, lead technical instructor of the trades programs at the YMCA. “I think the best thing they come up with is the confidence to go out there, find a job.”

According to Dwyer, students have an 80 to 90 per cent employment rate after completing the program.

“If they want a job, there’s a job there for them,” he says.

Some will go to work at a construction site, others may use this to continue at an apprenticeship to further their skills, says Dwyer.

During the program, students build a home indoors at the training facility. Salah Mohammed is one of the graduates and he says he’s going to use the skills he gained through the program to start a renovation business in the new year.

“It’s going to help me a lot,” Mohammed said.

According to the YMCA, there is a focus on “energy-efficient,” home renovation, including training in “green construction principles and the use of sustainable building materials.”

The program also helps with pre-employment support and offers training in industry certifications including First Aid & CPR-C, WHIMIS, and working at heights.

The program is funded in part by the Ontario and Federal governments.

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