Skilled Training &
Paid Work Built-In
Trade Smart College is a ministry-approved, diploma-based career college built on a simple idea: trades careers are built through both training and real jobsite experience. Our model combines technical skills, professional habits, and safety standards – and then carries those expectations into a structured paid technical internship. This is how students move from interested to useful and trusted on real crews.
Learning the bigger picture of work
Kio felt what a lot of students feel: school doesn’t always seem impactful, and it’s hard to see the “fruits of your labour.” In class at Trade Smart, he learned not just how to do the work, but how to think about customers, companies, and where he fits on a professional team.
60% – The Customer: Excellent service, professionalism, being on time.
30% – The Company: Following processes, protecting reputation, delivering the service.
10% – You: How you show up, contribute, and grow within the team.
“You realize there’s a bigger picture to work. You feel more impactful.”
Training Built for the Real World
An 8-month diploma built to move you from training to paid jobsite experience
Our program is designed around how the trades actually work. You build core skills first, then you prove you can apply them on real crews. In the first 8 weeks, students develop technical foundations and professional habits that every trade requires. If they meet the standard, they move into a 24-week paid technical internship where they build real work experience and a track record employers can trust – before graduation.
Our curriculum is structured as a complete system, not just a classroom experience. The in-class phase (TS101–TS501) builds core technical skills, safety habits, and professional standards. The paid internship phase (TS601–TS801) is where students apply that foundation on real jobsites, progress through increasing responsibility, and build the kind of experience employers actually use to make hiring decisions.
This is how students move from training into paid work with clarity, support, and real-world standards.
In-Class Training Phase
Technical and professional foundations built to prepare students for real jobsites
The in-class phase is where students build the core technical skills and professional habits that every trade requires. Over 8 weeks, students develop tool competence, safety awareness, jobsite routines, and communication standards through a curriculum designed to mirror real work expectations. The goal is not just to learn concepts – it’s to build readiness. Students who meet the standard move forward into the paid technical internship phase with useful skills, reliable routines, and the confidence to contribute on day one.
In-Class Phase
TS101 - Technical Trades Preparation
Core multi-trade foundations: tools, safety, and jobsite-ready routines from day one
TS101 is where students build the baseline technical competence that applies across most entry-level roles in the trades. The focus is practical: tool handling, safe work habits, materials awareness, and repeatable routines that make a new person useful on a crew. This course sets the standard for how Trade Smart teaches — jobsite rhythm, real expectations, and skills that transfer across construction, industrial, and transportation environments.
- Build essential tool competence: handling, care, safe use, and setup basics
- Learn core jobsite routines: prep, cleanup, material movement, and work-area organization
- Develop safety habits early: hazard awareness, PPE discipline, and risk-thinking in real tasks
- Apply “Master Your Backpack” standards: knowing what to bring, how to use it, and how to work ready
- Practice multi-trade fundamentals through jobsite-style projects and realistic work sequences
- Strengthen crew readiness: following instructions, asking questions properly, and staying productive
In-Class Phase
TS201 - Sales & Business Skills in the Trades
Shift to a company-focused mindset – Learn how trades businesses operate and why performance matters
TS201 teaches students how trades companies actually operate: how they get customers, protect reputation, manage costs, and deliver work that earns trust. Students build a trades company as a team – including basic operations, customer experience standards, and sales/marketing assets – so they understand what employers are managing behind the scenes. The goal is simple: students start thinking like professionals who understand the impact of their work on customers, crews, and business outcomes.
- Understand how trades companies make money: costs, time, quality, and reputation
- Learn what customers evaluate: professionalism, communication, and experience - not just the work
- Build a mock trades company: roles, policies, basic operations, and real-world accountability
- Practice professional communication: how to speak to customers, crews, and supervisors clearly
- Learn the basics of sales + marketing in the trades: trust, referrals, and why reliability sells
- Connect personal performance to outcomes: why “how you show up” affects the entire business
In-Class Phase
TS301 - Focused Technical Study
Safety Certifications, Trade Discovery, and Personalized Study – Turning Exploration Into Real Capability
TS301 deepens understanding while building the independence required for jobsite success. Students complete key safety certifications and develop trade fluency across common systems and expectations. This is where students begin to connect the dots: what different trades look like in the real world, what “good work” means in different environments, and what they need to strengthen before stepping onto a jobsite.
- Earn Core Safety Certifications And Apply Them To Realistic Jobsite Scenarios
- Build Hazard Awareness And Risk Discipline: Learning To Notice, Assess, And Prevent Problems
- Research Opportunities Across Sectors: Construction, Manufacturing/Industrial, And Transportation
- Practice Project Planning and Management, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Attention to Detail
- Strengthen Systems Thinking: Time Logging, Documentation Habits, And Process Awareness
- Use Trade Exploration To Narrow Direction: Learning What Fits, What Doesn’t, And Why
In-Class Phase
TS401 - Self-Leadership & Professional Skills
The habits that make you employable: consistency, communication, accountability, & working under pressure
TS401 builds the professional side of the toolbox. Students learn how to manage themselves the way real jobsites require: showing up consistently, staying organized, communicating clearly, and making safe decisions even when the day gets stressful. This course turns “potential” into professional reliability – the quality that actually determines whether a new person gets kept, trusted, and promoted.
- Build consistency habits: punctuality, preparation, and following through without being chased
- Learn task management and planning: prioritizing work, staying productive, & tracking responsibilities
- Strengthen communication under pressure: clear updates, questions, & accountability language
- Develop decision-making discipline: choosing safety, quality, and customer impact over shortcuts
- Practice receiving feedback well: adjusting quickly and improving without defensiveness
- Understand “adding value” on a crew: what supervisors notice and what earns trust
In-Class Phase
TS501 - Personal Development Lab
Integration + proof: demonstrate readiness, build confidence, & prepare for internship placement
TS501 is the applied “integration” course where students pull everything together from TS101–TS401. This is where skills become proof. Students complete practical assessments and capstone-style demonstrations (including Master Your Backpack standards) and finalize the career-readiness work that supports placement: resumes, interview practice, and professional preparation. The goal is to ensure students don’t just finish class – they leave ready to succeed in a paid internship environment.
- Demonstrate integrated readiness: tool competence, safe setup, & task execution to standard
- Complete practical assessments that confirm students can work reliably in jobsite conditions
- Finalize resume construction & learn how to communicate real value to employers
- Practice interviews with real feedback: clarity, confidence, & professional presentation
- Reinforce professional standards: routines, accountability, & workplace conduct expectations
- Prepare for internship placement: knowing what employers expect in the first days and weeks
Paid Technical Internship Phase
Real jobsite experience with a structured progression from onboarding to hire-ready performance
Hands-on technical skill development in the Trade Smart College curriculum is concentrated in the internship phase. After students have demonstrated readiness in class, they move into a paid technical internship with a partner company where they apply foundational skills on real jobsites, adapt to real expectations, and build a track record of reliability. The internship is delivered as a clear progression (TS601–TS801), with ongoing support and feedback so students improve week by week and employers can evaluate fit with confidence.
Paid Technical Internship Phase
TS601 – Applied Technical Internship I
Onboarding & Adaptation: learning the site, the systems, and how to earn trust early
TS601 is the “entry phase” of the internship. Students begin their paid placement with a partner company and focus on showing up ready, learning how that company operates, and applying Trade Smart foundations in real conditions. The goal is not to be impressive — it’s to be dependable: safe, coachable, consistent, and useful to the crew.
- Arrive prepared and on time, with the right PPE, tools, and jobsite mindset
- Learn company expectations: safety routines, communication norms, and daily workflow
- Demonstrate safe work habits and hazard awareness under real jobsite pressure
- Support the crew through practical tasks (setup, material handling, cleanup, tool logistics) done properly
- Follow instructions accurately, ask good questions, and confirm understanding before acting
- Respond to feedback quickly and improve reliability, pace, and attention to detail week over week
Paid Technical Internship Phase
TS701 – Applied Technical Internship II
Skill Deepening & Contribution: taking on more responsibility and being impactful on a crew
TS701 is the phase where students begin to “level up” through repetition and responsibility. As they prove they can work safely, follow direction, and complete basic tasks to standard, they are trusted with more complex work within their scope. The focus is consistent contribution: doing the unglamorous work well, protecting quality and safety, and reducing the load on the team instead of adding to it.
- Take on larger task sequences (within scope) and complete them to standard with less supervision
- Maintain strong safety discipline while increasing speed, confidence, and consistency
- Communicate clearly with leads and crew: updates, questions, and “heads-up” problem reporting
- Improve technical handling: tools, materials, measurements, site setup, and basic install/support tasks as assigned
- Demonstrate quality awareness: keeping work clean, organized, and aligned to instructions and expectations
- Show dependable jobsite habits: readiness, follow-through, documentation/notes as required, and professionalism
Paid Technical Internship Phase
TS801 – Applied Technical Internship III
Transition & Next Steps: finishing strong, proving fit, and preparing for employment
TS801 is the final phase of the internship and the bridge to employment. Students focus on consistency, long-term fit, and professional maturity — showing they can sustain performance, take appropriate initiative, and operate as a reliable crew member. This phase also includes preparing for the next step after placement: gathering feedback, documenting experience, and translating real jobsite work into strong resume and interview stories.
- Sustain reliable performance over time: punctuality, readiness, safety, and consistent work quality
- Demonstrate “trusted teammate” habits: anticipating needs, staying productive, and owning basic responsibilities
- Strengthen professional communication: clarity, accountability, and respectful coordination with the crew
- Gather structured feedback from the employer and use it to refine performance and career direction
- Prepare for post-internship outcomes: offers, next placements, or trade pathway decisions based on real experience
- Convert internship work into proof: clear resume bullet points, references, and interview-ready examples of value
You’re Closer
Than You Think
Training doesn’t have to take four years. At Trade Smart, you train like you’re already on the job with tools in your hand, instructors at your side, and a team preparing you for the real world. That’s not a dream. That’s a plan.
Got Questions? Let’s Talk
Whether you’re a student, parent, or company we’d love to hear from you.
We’ll guide you through next steps, walk you through start dates, costs, and internship details. This form connects you with a team member who can give you answers, options, and everything you need to move forward.
Campus Hours
- Mon- Fri: 7am- 5pm
- Open House - See Schedule