The CWB Welding Foundation celebrates a decade of breaking barriers and addressing skill gaps in welding and welding-related industries

MILTON, ON, April 5, 2023 /CNW/ - The CWB Welding Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a national not-for-profit charity focused on breaking barriers and bridging skill gaps in welding and welding-related industries. Since its inception in 2013, the CWB Foundation www.cwbweldingfoundation.org  has been committed to raising awareness, advocating for the welding industry, delivering hands-on educational programs and investing in educational infrastructure to address the shortage of skilled professionals in Canada.

The Foundation’s CWB WeldSAFE™ program provides high school students with personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and promotes welding safety. (CNW Group/CWB Welding Foundation)

"I am thrilled to say that over the past ten years, the CWB Welding Foundation has established partnerships and programs that are now positively impacting workforce development and skills-based recruitment and retention objectives within welding and welding-related industries. We are proud of our collective efforts to drive awareness and change perceptions to promote, develop and future proof skilled trades and technology employment opportunities. Our mission has always been to empower the next generation of skilled workers and we will continue to find new and innovative ways to achieve that goal," says Susan Crowley, Executive Director for the CWB Welding Foundation.

Over the past ten years, the CWB Foundation has worked tirelessly to promote welding, welding-related and skilled trades, opening viable career paths for Canadians of all ages.

Alongside the generous and committed support of partners, sponsors, and industry leaders, the CWB Foundation has achieved their goals by:

1. Supporting welding education and training: The CWB Foundation provides financial support, such as grants to schools and programs across Canada to enhance the quality of education and training available. They also offer resources and support to educators to help them better prepare students for the welding industry.
2. Addressing the skilled worker shortage in Canada: The CWB Foundation has launched several initiatives to encourage people of all ages to explore welding or welding related careers, including Mind Over Metal™ welding youth camps and adult workshops, Women of Steel™ pre-employment programs to encourage women to enter the welding profession, and the Educator Training programs.
3. Removing barriers: The CWB Foundation is a driving force behind providing access to welding education and certification for underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous peoples, and newcomers to Canada. By reducing financial, social, and cultural barriers to education, the CWB Foundation has helped thousands of Canadians enter the welding industry, further addressing the skilled worker shortage.
4. Promoting Safety and Innovation: The CWB Foundation promotes safety and innovation in the welding industry to improve welding safety through initiatives such as the CWB WeldSAFE™ program in partnership with the International Brother of Boilermakers, AltaGas, and industry leaders 3M Canada, Lincoln Electric and Weldready.
5. Encouraging industry collaboration: The CWB Foundation brings together industry leaders, educators, and other stakeholders to collaborate and share best practices in the welding industry. Together, they host conferences, workshops, and other events to promote knowledge-sharing and collaboration within welding and welding-related industries.

"I've had the privilege of being directly involved with the CWB Welding Foundation and watching it grow from a small initiative to a dynamic national organization making a real difference in the lives of aspiring welders across Canada," says Doug Luciani, President and CEO of CWB Group. "It's remarkable to see how far we've come in only a decade, and I'm excited to see how the organization continues to grow its impact for years to come."

As the CWB Foundation reflects on the progress made over the last 10 years, they look to the future and will continue to engage community, government and industry partners to tackle current and future labour, workforce and skills gaps challenges. Through their direct engagement and support with the next generation of skilled workers and their relentless focus on safe learning and working environments, the CWB Foundation will forge ahead and address existing and new opportunities while continuing to inspire individuals to explore welding and welding-related careers in safe and collaborative environments.

About CWB Welding Foundation

The CWB Welding Foundation is a registered charity that works with partners to support and sustain the need for skilled welding and technology professionals and contribute to Canada's economic prosperity. By creating a gateway to the skilled trades, the CWB Foundation forges partnerships between industry, labour education and government to enable Canadians to explore, build and advance successful and exciting careers. The CWB Foundation offers education-based hands-on and virtual programs and initiatives and provides financial and technical program supports that reduce barriers affecting vital groups; elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and educators, Indigenous peoples, women and the underrepresented. We encourage awareness and provide programs supporting access to career exploration regardless of identity factors, social and financial status and lived experiences, including gender, age, ethnicity, language, literacy, culture, income, and geographical location.

For more information about the CWB Welding Foundation and its programs, visit www.cwbweldingfoundation.org.

SOURCE CWB Welding Foundation

Sarah Williams, Marketing and Communications Manager, Direct: 226-314-2356, Email: [email protected]