Training
Earn while
you learn.
Sheet metal is a compulsory, certified Red Seal trade (Ontario 308A). Local 397 holds the apprenticeship contracts, and members earn their Certificate of Qualification through a registered apprenticeship with in-school training at the Ontario Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre, the investment that keeps our contractors competitive and our members in demand.
Apprenticeship
A Red Seal
career.
Apprenticeship is post-secondary education you get paid for. Sheet Metal Worker is a compulsory, inter-provincial Red Seal trade (Ontario 308A), 9,000 hours in total: 8,280 hours of paid on-the-job training plus 720 hours of in-school instruction, delivered in three eight-week blocks. Technical training is delivered at the Ontario Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre (OSMWTC) in Oakville, a joint union/OSMCA training centre, and leads to a Red Seal Certificate of Qualification.
The trade itself is regulated provincially. Skilled Trades Ontario sets the scope of practice and the training standard the apprenticeship has to meet, and issues the certificate at the end of it, so the credential is the same one recognized by every employer in the province, union or not. Skilled Trades Ontario publishes the trade standard and the apprenticeship requirements in full.
8,280 hrs
On-the-job training
720 hrs
In school, 3 eight-week blocks
308A
Ontario trade code
Red Seal
Compulsory, interprovincial
What you need
Getting started.
- 01A high-school diploma (Grade 12) or equivalent
- 02Drop a résumé and proof of Grade 12 at the union hall
- 03Pass the aptitude test when the local needs apprentices
- 04A willingness to learn a skilled, certified trade
To apply, drop a résumé and proof of Grade 12 (or equivalent) at the union hall, 1135 Roland Street. When the local needs apprentices, it schedules an aptitude test: $25, about 3.5 hours, payable in advance by cash or cheque. To enter as a Sheeter/Decker, simply drop a résumé at the hall.
What you get
The payoff.
- 01The highest-quality classroom, on-the-job and safety training
- 02Earn while you learn, with wage step-ups at each level
- 038,280 hours of paid on-the-job training, plus 720 hours in school
- 04A nationally recognized, compulsory Red Seal credential
Flat / built-up roofing is a voluntary trade. The Thunder Bay Roofing Apprenticeship Council holds those apprenticeship contracts. Contact the union if you are interested in roofing work at sheetmetal397@tbaytel.net.
Safety & upgrading
Fall 2026
safety schedule.
Safety and upgrading in Thunder Bay are run by the Safety & Training Coordinator. Please ensure your training is up to date. Renew your certifications before they expire to stay dispatch-ready.
Members must update their Working at Heights before it expires, three years from initial training. WHMIS refresher training is included with Working at Heights refresher classes.
Elevating Work Platform certification expires every three years. Sign up for a refresher. Otherwise a full course will be required once the new law is enacted January 1, 2027.
Working at Heights Refresher
½ Day Class
- October 319 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- November 289 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Working at Heights Refresher
Evening Class
- December 105 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Hoisting & Rigging
3 Evening Class
- November 17, 18, 195 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Elevating Work Platform
½ Day Class
- October 179 a.m. to 1 p.m.
1st Aid
2 Day Class
- December 19 & 209 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Elevating Work Platform Refresher
Evening Class
- October 225 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- November 125 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- December 165 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Please send an email to sign up, or call and leave a message if necessary. If the class you select is full, the hall will contact you to confirm an alternative training session.
Safety & training coordinator
(807) 623-6014
safety@smw397.ca
Thunder Bay union hall
1135 Roland Street
Thunder Bay ON P7B 5M5