Revolutionizing Trades & Innovation
Bridging Communities To Trades & Innovation
Opening pathways to skilled trades, innovation, and opportunities through practical learning and collaboration.
Attendees
Meet Our Attendees
Founder and Executive Director, TradeBridge Employment and Innovation Society
President and Board Chair, TradeBridge Employment and Innovation Society
Our Request
What we are asking from your office
Letter of support
From the Minister's office endorsing TradeBridge BC as a community partner for trades access, used in ESDC, PacifiCan, and BC Gaming grant applications.
Introduction to SkilledTradesBC CEO Shelley Gray
To explore her participation as a speaker at the November 28 forum representing BC's apprenticeship investment and the Look West strategy.
Introduction to MLA Sunita Dhir
Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials, to explore her participation as a speaker at the forum on credential recognition pathways for newcomer tradespeople.
Introduction to post-secondary institutions
Delivering trades training in the Fraser Valley, KPU, UFV, and other designated providers, to explore formal referral partnerships.
Introduction to SkilledTradesBC's Sponsor Employer network
To identify Fraser Valley employers registered to hire apprentices from underrepresented communities.
Promotion through Ministry and SkilledTradesBC communications channels
Social media, stakeholder newsletters, and Apprenticeship Recognition Month communications for November 2026.
November 28 forum
What speakers will address at the forum
The Look West investment
5,000 new training seats, doubled SkilledTradesBC funding, and 462 new seats at KPU Surrey.
The International Credentials Recognition Act
How internationally trained tradespeople access the BC recognition pathway.
The $5,000 completion bonus and $400 weekly top-up
Government investments that many Fraser Valley newcomers do not yet know exist.
Live presentation of community survey findings
Fraser Valley data on trades barriers experienced by underrepresented communities.
Compare Initiatives
How TradeBridge BC differs from other Ministry initiatives
SkilledTradesBC
Manages BC's apprenticeship system, including credentials, standards, employer registration, and funding. It provides the infrastructure that tradespeople move through.
TradeUpBC
Supports experienced and certified tradespeople through micro-credentials and professional development across key areas of demand.
TradeBridge BC
Focuses on reaching underrepresented communities, including Newcomers, Youth, Black, Indigenous and People of Color, helping remove the barriers that prevent them from entering the skilled trades system in the first place.
Our Approach
How TradeBridge Supports Employers & Talent
Talent
TradeBridge BC
Business Intelligence / Analysis Community Cohort
Assessment / Skills Evaluation
Trades Bucket
Got Hired?
Hire Apprentice From Bucket
Employer
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How we support you!
Our Pitch To Employers
To encourage employers to hire Black Canadians and other underrepresented individuals with no prior skilled trades experience:
We train talent in Business Intelligence (Business Analyst) / Six Sigma
Employers hire them as technical apprentices.
They help the company with business process improvement / data strategy as they build their trades skills.
Black and Underrepresented Talent
TradeBridge BC
Business Intelligence / Analysis Community Cohort
Assessment / Skill Evaluation
Trades Bucket
Got Hired?
Hire Apprentice From The Bucket
Employer
TradeBridge Innovation Track
Talents without placement can come together to form a social cooperative society
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What Comes Next
What is next after November 28, 2026
Data and Debrief
Package survey findings and employer connections into a post-event report for the Ministry and partners.
CWRG Application
Apply for the Community Workforce Response Grant to fund our BI and Six Sigma training programme, using November employer relationships and survey data as evidence.
Red Seal Coaching
Launch an exam coaching partnership with Red Seal Rescue to close the gap between trades entry and final certification, a gap that is rarely measured.
Year 2 Forum
Second Annual Apprenticeship Recognition Month Forum, with expanded reach, first-year programme outcomes, and data presented to government.
TradeBridge BC