Overview
Fabricators build products using steel, aluminum, stainless steel and various other alloys. The need to maintain design efficiencies for weight and strength continually challenge the fabricator to work with lighter materials and more complex shapes to achieve the desired product.
An excellent example of how much the industry has evolved can be seen by looking at what has happened to the design and fabrication of bicycles. These used to be made of heavier sections in order to maintain strength, but now we are seeing bikes made significantly lighter and yet capable of much higher stress loads.
Making a career choice
- When seeking a career choice it is critical that one looks at employability and diversity of the job and skills. These two factors keep you earning income for your needs and free of repetitive boredom.
- The next consideration is how steady will your work be? In answering this question you need to consider the industries you serve. Fabricators are at the core of all constructed things:
- Buildings – office towers, arenas
- Ships – ocean liners, fast patrol craft
- Planes – jigs for wings and fuselage, landing gear
- Furniture manufacture – desks, chairs, sound shrouds
- Auto manufacture and accessories – guards, racks and hitches
- And the list goes on.
View a career video.
Check the Apprenticeship Training Schedules to see available training dates.
Entrance Requirements
Pathways
There are two ways of beginning your new career as a metal fabricator apprentice:
- Take our Metal Fabricator Foundation program. By working through a series of practical projects and assignments and theory assignments you'll build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to make you more employable in an entry-level position. By successfully completing the program, you will also receive credit for the in-school portion of Level 1 of our Metal Fabricator Apprenticeship training.
- Apprentices that complete the foundation program with a start date prior to March 31, 2017 will be eligible to enter the harmonized apprenticeship stream at Level 1.
- Apprentices that complete the foundation program with a start date after April 1, 2017 will be eligible to enter the harmonized apprenticeship stream at Level 2.
- Find employment under a metal fabricator who will register you with SkilledTradesBC. In this option, you are indentured to a company as an apprentice metal fabricator, learning basic skills while you are employed. The advantage here is that you earn while you learn.
Entrance requirements
You must be an active apprentice registered with SkilledTradesBC to register for apprenticeship training at BCIT.
Recommended for success
Grade 10 education or equivalent*, including:
- English 10 or English language proficiency
- Any Math 10
- Science 10
*High school graduation is preferred.
Apprentices with medical or physical difficulties should contact Accessibility Services to arrange an interview with the Institute’s rehabilitation specialist.
International applicants
BCIT welcomes apprentice training requests from Canadian citizens and permanent residents only. View programs that accept international students
Scheduled Intakes
Multiple start dates each year.
Please refer to the Apprenticeship Training Schedule for availability of upcoming intakes.
Register for Apprentice Training
To register for apprentice training:
- Consult the training schedule to find a date that is suitable to both you and your employer.
- Create your BCIT ID if you don’t already have one.
- Register by phone or email.
- Pay the $200 commitment fee.
Disclosure of personal information & privacy notice
BCIT Apprentice Services reserves the right to communicate with SkilledTradesBC and your active employer sponsor about your registration, progress, and related academic information. BCIT also shares apprentice registration information with Work BC. If you have questions about the protection of your personal information, you may contact the BCIT Information Access and Privacy Office.
myCommunication
Within two business days of submitting your apprentice training request, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT e-mail addresses. All correspondence regarding your training request will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We'll send you an e-mail when a new message is posted. It's important to watch for these e-mails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your training request within four weeks.
Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Use our tuition estimator to find tuition and fees for this program.
For more information on tuition and fees, visit Apprenticeship Training Tuition & Fees.
Books & supplies
Apprentices are expected to bring their CSA-approved steel-toed boots. Cost of books/supplies to be determined.
Students are required to supply their own coveralls. A supply of coveralls are available through the BCIT Bookstore. Please check the uniform authorization voucher [PDF] to determine the type of coveralls required for your program.
Financial assistance
Income support for apprentices is provided by Human Resource Development Canada (HRDC) through regular Employment Insurance (EI) eligibility. For questions regarding Employment Insurance or Personal Support Payments, please visit the income support overview for current BCIT apprentices.
Courses
- Schooling is 30 hours per week.
- 70 percent of this training is theory based, as this is not easily taught in a shop environment.
- Your lessons will be a combination of lectures, tutorials, and demonstrations in class
and shop, augmented with field trips to local industry. - Class size is restricted to a maximum of 16 students to allow for more personalized training and greater access to shop and classroom facilities.
- Assignments and projects reflect real-life applications of classroom lectures and theory, as well as reflecting the amazing diversity of the fabrication industry.
Class hours
0700-1330 or 1330-2000, Monday through Friday
Please refer to the Apprenticeship Training Schedule for class hours and availability of upcoming intakes.
Program matrix
| Level 1 (7 weeks) | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| AMFB 1GAP | Metal Fabricator Apprentice Level 1 Final Grade - Harmonized Trade | 14.0 | |
| Level 2 (7 weeks) | Credits | ||
| AMFB 2GAP | Metal Fabricator Apprentice Level 2 Final Grade - Harmonized Trade | 14.0 | |
| Level 3 (6 weeks) | Credits | ||
| AMFB 3GAP | Metal Fabricator Apprentice Level 3 Final Grade - Harmonized Trade | 12.0 | |
| Total Credits: | 40.0 | ||
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
Program Details
You will learn trade skills, which are practical skills applied to real life situations. You can’t compare high school, college or university to the process of learning that happens with us.
Employers need people who know how to get things fabricated. Our program breaks down the required skills into a list of competencies that are then delivered in a “competency based learning model,” which means: first you learn the theory, then you practice, then you demonstrate that competence.
The learning process requires your involvement. Throughout the course you will be presented with a variety of challenges, and you will gain knowledge step-by-step from instructors and your fellow students.
Program length
The total amount of in-school training for a metal fabricator apprenticeship is 600 hours, delivered over 20 weeks.
Apprentices that began the program prior to March 31, 2017 will attend four five-week levels of training.
Apprentices beginning the program after April 1, 2017 in the harmonized stream will attend three levels. Levels 1 and 2 are seven weeks, and Level 3 is six weeks.
Grading
The minimum passing grade is 70 percent.
Program delivery
In person: This program is delivered on campus.
Program location
Burnaby Campus
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Graduating & Jobs
Metal fabricators are often selected to lead teams on projects, selected as department heads, and urged to pursue managerial positions. Fabricators are at the highest level of income due to their background of training and development.
Statistics suggest that you will experience at least four careers in your working life. An important consideration needs to be earning power and flexibility to pursue other education while working. This trade will give you tremendous shift selection, employment income, and transferability to other or related trades and technologies.
In a global marketplace, fabricators will continue to earn a premium due to their ability to apply technology and training to their crews, justifying their expense in relation to other trades.
So in a brief four years, you may elect to remain in this field or move on. The good news is that you will have a high paying career, which is a good base from which to make new choices for the future realities before you.
Graduate employment outcomes
The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2021-2023 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2020-2022 graduates and for Degree 2019-2021 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.
To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.
Credential
BCIT offers a Diploma of Trades Training for apprentices who have successfully completed their technical training at BCIT and have been granted a British Columbia Trades Qualification (IP/TQ). In trades where there is no requirement to complete a Trades Qualification (TQ), a Certificate of Apprenticeship is acceptable. Please see the BCIT apprenticeship training section of the website for more information.
Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Our faculty and staff have a combined 120 years of practical experience and over 60 years of teaching experience. This translates into a huge source of knowledge that you can draw from. If after reviewing the information on our web pages you still have questions regarding steel fabrication please contact any one of us, BCIT’s admission & registration or apprenticeship training.
Mike McKoryk, Department Head
Tel: 604-456-1262
Email: mike_mckoryk@bcit.ca
Henry Ostermann, Faculty
Metal Fabrication TQ
Tel: 604-451-6833
Email: henry_ostermann@bcit.ca
Peter Thomas, Faculty
Metal Fabrication IP, Med, BCIDP
Tel: 604-431-4934
Email: peter_c_thomas@bcit.ca
Contact Us
Mike McKoryk
Department Head
Tel: 604-456-1262
Email: mike_mckoryk@bcit.ca
BCIT Apprentice Services
For more information on this or other apprenticeship programs, tuition fees and when programs are offered, please contact BCIT Apprentice Services at:
Office Location: Building SW1, First Floor
Burnaby campusPhone: 604-456-8100
1-800-667-0676 (BC)Fax: 604-435-1197 On the web: bcit.ca/apprenticeship
BCIT Apprentice Services can assist apprentices with their registration, tuition fee payments, and other details.
Anyone interested in registering as an apprentice can contact SkilledTradesBC at 778-328-8700 or 1-866-660-6011 (BC). BCIT's Apprentice Services can also assist individuals interested in entering apprentice training.
Questions or comments?
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