Skilled Trades Blog

New development projects and retro-fitting to meet new standards are increasing the demand for gas technicians in Ontario. As well as the demand for skilled trades, a career as a gas technician offers you a varied and exciting work life where no two days are the same. If you’re considering a career in the gas industry, here is an insight into the skills needed to succeed and the type of work you’ll be doing.

Ontario's workforce is our most valuable asset and there is currently a demand for skilled trades. Through further education and training businesses and workers can adapt to changes in the economy, achieve their goals and fill the skills gaps in the labour market. The Canada-Ontario Job Grant can help. 

At The Skilled Trades Academies, we have many students come into our classrooms to learn the tricks of the trade and become licensed gas technicians. We are proud of each and every one of them and love when we get the opportunity to catch up with a graduate and learn what they're up to now.

We caught up with graduate Ashtyn Ahern who attended the Skilled Trades Academy after his co-op placement and now works for Montgomery Gas.  

At The Skilled Trades Academies, we have many students come into our classrooms to learn the tricks of the trade and become licensed gas technicians. We are proud of each and every one of them and love when we get the opportunity to catch up with a graduate and learn what they're up to now.

We caught up with graduates Austin McMullen who now works at Montgomery Gas to hear about his experience.

Montgomery Gas is owned by Scott and Laura Montgomery and has been serving the Niagara Region since 1987, originally under Scott’s father Jerry. They are extremely well regarded in the industry due to their commitment to customer service as well as their dedication to ensuring that their team is always learning and improving. The youngest Montgomery, Noah, aged 6, hopes to follow the same path as some of our graduates from Co-op placement to the Skilled Trades Academy and then to someday run the family business.

On March 8, the Niagara Skilled Trades Academy joins the world in celebrating International Women’s Day. If you know us, you know that this day is very important to us as we recognize the value of female trades workers and encourage young women to pursue opportunities in the gas technician industry. Since World War 2, when women were a critical part of the skilled trades industries, the number of women entering our field has dwindled, but in recent years we are happy to report that the number of female workers in the trades has once again started to rise as more women are embracing the trades as an exciting and rewarding career opportunity!  

At The Skilled Trades Academies, we have many students come into our classrooms to learn the tricks of the trade and become licensed gas technicians. We are proud of each and every one of them and love when we get the opportunity to catch up with a graduate and learn what they're up to now.

We caught up with graduate Allan Tait. He's now working at Hamco Heating and Cooling and, within months of starting, was promoted to the position of Service Technician.

For the last few weeks the Skilled Trades Academy has been hosting our Gas Technician classes online and we're pleased to report that it has been a great success. Both students and instructors have embraced online learning but many of you are wondering how it all works so here's some information on what to expect. 

Job satisfaction, security, in-demand skills and year-round work - just some of the benefits of being a certified Gas Technician. They say that the average person spends nearly one-third of their life at work so a fulfilling career choice is incredibly important. 

We hope you have kept safe and healthy over the past few weeks. Since temporarily closing our classrooms for the health and safety of our students, staff, and community at large, the team here at the Skilled Trades Academies have been working together tirelessly to come up with a solution to get your classes back up and running. It is our goal to keep all of our classes on schedule the best we can, but understand that due to circumstance beyond our control, all practicals, shop time and TSSA exams will be scheduled to recommence as soon as we are allowed.