This week, the member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City, John Aldag, took a tour of the FTI.

Accompanied by the Executive Director of the BC Building Trades, Tom Sigurdson, DC 38 Business Manager, David Holmes, Done Right Painting Owner, Troy Halverson and FTI Director of Training, Paddy Byrne, Mr. Aldag spent nearly two hours touring the facility. The Federal Liberal Government, since being elected in 2015, has shown consistent support for apprenticeship training in Canada and has specifically praised the work done in this area by Union sponsored training facilities.

This was a great opportunity for Mr. Aldag to see first hand the great work we do in preparing our apprentices to be the Red Seal Journeypersons of tomorrow. It was very important that he was able to meet with the students, instructors and one of our most successful Painting Contractors, to hear firsthand about the quality of the instruction and equipment we employ at our facility.

We look forward to Mr. Aldag sharing his observations with his fellow MP’s in Ottawa and to welcoming additional MP’s at our facility in the near future. We are proud of the work we do here and wish to enlighten all Canadians about the value of Apprenticeship when delivered by training schools aligned with the BC Building Trades and more specifically, The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC 38.

(From right to left) Liberal MP John Aldag, DC 38 BM/ST Dave Holmes and Tom Sigurdson E.D. of the BC Building Trades listen as FTI Glazing Instructor Mark Longmore demonstrates some of the equipment used in the Glazier Apprenticeship program.

As 2016 draws to a close, we wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy 2017.

We look forward to delivering more of the very best Red Seal apprenticeship instruction, Journeyperson upgrading and safety training to all of the Crafts involved in the Finishing Trades Industry again in the New Year.

Thank you all for your continuing support!

The FTI BC is pleased to announce the signing of a 3 year sponsorship arrangement with Sherwin-Williams Paints. British Columbia District Manager, Jared Airey, approached the FTI earlier this year with an offer to supply our painting apprentices with an array of products and tools on behalf of the Sherwin-Williams Paint Store Group. Thanks to this generous offer, our students get to work with some of the finest materials in the industry while helping to defray some of the costs the FTI incurs while delivering the Red Seal painting apprenticeship program.

Additionally, Mr. Airey has also offered to work with us when it comes to supplying our, soon to be opened, Industrial Painting training facility. When it comes to the latest in high tech industrial coating materials, Sherwin-Williams is ready to supply a wide spectrum of products in order to meet the highest standards in the Industry.

We here at the FTI BC look forward to a long, mutually beneficial partnership with  Sherwin-Williams, as we strive to train the finest Red Seal painting tradespeople in the industry.

Representatives from Sherwin-Williams meet with training staff from the FTI to sign a new three sponsorship agreement.

Painting Instructor,Chico Albino, diccusses training plans with representatives from Sherwin-Williams in the main classroom of the new FTI Industrial Training facility.

Industrial Paint Rep, Justin Chapman, shows our new blast booth to representatives from Sherwin-Williams.

As we near the end of the year progress continues at our new industrial spray and blast training facility.

All that is left for the completion of the Blast Tank is the connection of the duct work, final touches on the electrical connections and the sealing of the individual panel joints. Additionally, all of the components for the Spray Booth arrived on site last week and technicians will start assembly this week.

Once we have our final permits approved, we can begin the process of commissioning the equipment. Our hope is to begin instruction at our expansion early in the new year.

Representatives from Manus Abrasive Systems stopped by the FTI This week to take pictures of the one of a kind Blast Tank that they fabricated and installed for us. In the foreground you will also see crates containing components for the new Spray Booth.

The FTI is in the process of installing new, state of the art equipment in our recently expanded Industrial Painting training facility.

The first piece of equipment to be installed is a one of a kind Blast Tank unlike any other blast booth in North America.

Check out the photos that show the equipment being installed in new building. The FTI would like to thank Media Maintenance for supplying us with their crane truck and their operator Aaron Coloumbe who is a member of DC 38.

Check out the progression of the expansion of our new Industrial Painting and Blasting facility in the pictures below.