Pressure Welding; Filling the Gap Program Update

The Fill the Gap Program for A pressure welder training program was developed jointly by the IBB and the CWB that has been funded by the Employment and Social Development Canada – Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) is proving to be successful.
In the summer of 2023, a fill the gap program was conducted at Okanagan College in Kelowna, British Columbia. 12 welders who wanted to advance their careers committed to 9 weeks of training. Two of the welders were members of IBB Lodge 359, the other ten applicants wanted to become members of the Boilermakers and getting their B.C. Pressure A ticket is how they could achieve to do it, by upgrading their welding skills.
The welders who came into the program had either their B.C. provincial B or A level along with CWB qualifications and the interprovincial red seal. The welding instructor at Okanagan College provided educational leadership to each of the welders to reach the goals of the program.
The welders could achieve Pressure A, PWP 7,9 & 10, CWB SMAW & FCAW all positions, with T & M class along with inconel and chrome qualifications.
The Fill the Gap is a national program that has produced at least 158 pressure welders since the program started in 2021. Out of that 21 have been developed in B.C., the goal is to create 450 pressure welders.
As one participant said, “This training is great because you get experience, you get practice time and on top of that you get welding tickets.”
Learn more about this program by clicking here