Jesus Was a Tradesperson

By Murray Strong Compulsory certification is the answer By Murray Strong 7200 hours , 4 years of your life, to become a skilled carpenter and receive a piece of paper to hang on your wall. According to Skilled Trades Ontario a carpenter constructs, renovates and repairs structures made of wood, steel, concrete and other materials in the residential, commercial and industrial construction sectors and in related industries. Specifically a carpenter establishes building procedures and prepares work sites- lays out, constructs and installs formwork and concrete foundations-frames floors, walls, ceilings and roofs- finishes interiors and exteriors- constructs heavy framing- builds stairs, posts and handrails- lays out, constructs and installs door and window systems- performs renovations. The real world of carpentry duties would expand this list another 1000. Time for Skilled Trades Ontario to visit an actual job site. If you want to work in the nuclear industry a welding ticket plus a carpentry certificate plus an extensive criminal background check by every law enforcement in Canada is required. Carpenters are taught some welding as part of the in school training. A actual welding license is very different from other trades because if you cannot pass a bend test your fired before your hired. Two pieces of beveled pipe on a 45 degree angle. The test gives you all position welding overhead, vertical, horizontal and flat. Clean the weld, cut into lengthwise pieces and bend them. There is no second chance. If the weld breaks from improper methods its crying time. I remember my first test. Durham College instructor shaking my hand when he passed my weld was the best feeling in the world. He said everyone needs a project to complete as part of the training for this welding course. Some of the guys built stoves, trailers but I really didn’t need a stove so he told me a group of people were trying to raise a actual jet at the Oshawa airport. The instructor asked if I would take this on as my project. The next day a giant piece of pipe arrived in the college shop. I was given a set of drawings showing the angle they wanted the plane to be mounted. The escape hatch on the underbelly was the method to hold the plane. Lots of welding underground buried in concrete. If you visit the Oshawa airport check out the jet and see my welding project. Durham College is so important to the trade’s community. Why is carpentry, not a compulsory trade? I know the reason, but I do not want to start a war. One has to be careful sometimes but nothing will change if nobody is willing to take the heat. Thank you Denny Crane