CWB Group hosts its first Welding Industry Day on December 18, 2019
On December 18, 2019, the CWB Group hosted its inaugural Welding Industry Day (WID) at Mohawk College- Stoneycreek campus to a highly positive response. The event served to educate, inform and gather insights from industry on how CWB Group can further help the welding sector prosper. Over 200 high school students and 80 people from industry and education enjoyed tabletop displays and access to fellow industry leaders and CWB Group personnel through presentations and various sessions. We are very excited to announce the rest of the 2020 schedule for Welding Industry Day; our primary goal is to host events coast-to-coast to involve and learn from all of our industry leaders while providing exposure to potential welders as early as high school.
- Welding Industry Day- Vancouver: Feb 26th at BCIT, Burnaby Campus, BC
- Welding Industry Day- Moncton: Sept (3rd week) at NBCC, Moncton, NB
- Welding Industry Day- Calgary: October 2020 (TBD) at SAIT, Calgary, AB
- Welding Industry Day- Edmonton: October 2020 (TBD) at NAIT, Edmonton, AB
- Welding Industry Day- Halifax: November 2020 (TBD) at NSCC, Hamilton, NS
In order to provide a personalized experience and gauge the challenges faced by industry members, the CWB Group held several roundtable discussions throughout the day. The first session of the day, led by Ricardo Moreno, Director of B2B Marketing at the CWB Group, addressed organizational goals and challenges for participants. This allowed for an open discussion between participants and suggestions being shared on how these challenges can be addressed and resolved through support from other organizations as well as the CWB Group. The second part of the day involved a presentation for the 200 students that attended WID to allow them to ask questions and present the different career pathways available to them in their post-secondary journey. One of the goals of these cross-Canada events is to highlight the vast benefits of a career in the welding trade and educate young students on the variety of jobs available to them once they pursue a career in the trades. Dan Tadic, Director of the CWB Association, feels that to succeed “you need to be committed because it takes time to learn a trade no matter what it is but when you are done, you’re going to be very grateful that you put in the effort to learn and hone your skills because it will serve you for the rest of your life.” Tadic’s passion for the welding trade has been unparalleled in his time at the organization, which has been showcased through his many initiatives including the EWAT program and participation in the Hamilton event and the ones that will follow this year.
A notable session at the Hamilton event was a mentorship roundtable with Ken McKen. The meeting provided an opportunity for key players in the industry to discuss the best way to mentor young students and further understand how CWB Group can facilitate better guidance and assistance for mentors to maximize their teaching potential. Student leaders were also present at the roundtable, which gave a unique perspective to the entire conversation, and these students were given a platform to share what they feel is imperative for their growth and the success of the industry. Through this roundtable discussion, we were able to gauge what today’s youth expects and engages with in the academic setting and the unique challenges they’re facing in their journey.
The day wrapped up with several technical presentations, including W47.1 updates, a conversation with Nicole LeClair and Alicia Butty who are influencers in the industry, plus attendees were given the opportunity to speak to industry experts on the latest innovations in welding through supplier presentations by Gullco, Air Liquide and Lincoln Electric amongst others.
Overall, the CWB Group, along with its partners, are incredibly pleased with the outcome of our first Welding Industry Day, and through the feedback received at this event, we will ensure that each conference that follows will be even bigger and better with many more exciting things to look forward to. We hope to see you at one of the six events taking place throughout Canada this year.
For more information, please visit https://www.cwbgroup.org/association/welding-industry-days
