Herzing Skilled Trades

As is the case for a lot of people, Erica Dingman’s career path zigged and zagged. She spent a few years dabbling in animation, customer service, and other areas, but none of them were quite right.

She’d always loved taking things apart and learning how they worked, so the trades seemed like a natural fit. After overcoming a slight hesitation that she might be too old to start something new, she enrolled in the plumbing pre-apprenticeship training at Herzing College.

It turned out to be a great decision. Erica was so successful that she was even asked to be a teaching assistant in the program.

How did she find the whole experience? Keep reading to find out.

Kerianne Kerr was tired of instability. She’d bounced around in a variety of short-term jobs, but never really felt like she had a career. So when a friend of hers kept talking about the HVAC field and the need for skilled techs, she decided it was a path worth pursuing.

The trades had never been on her radar. She had never touched a power tool and wasn’t used to physical labour. But the instructors and staff at Herzing College offered the training and support she needed, and Kerianne graduated from the program in September 2023.

We interviewed her recently to get her thoughts on the whole experience. Read on for her story.

While construction estimating does not receive as much attention as other jobs in the skilled trades, it’s one of the most important roles on any construction site. A good estimator is critical to the success of any construction firm, since the accuracy and timeliness of a bid is a determining factor in which company wins the bid.

And skilled estimators are in demand. Government projections show that construction estimators have strong career prospects across most of Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, and the Prairie provinces.

So what specific skills do you need to find success as a construction estimator? The following five attributes are widely considered essential.

Raechel Kula’s career path has taken some interesting turns. After several years in software testing, she went back to school for theatre training. But steady work in the entertainment industry is hard to come by, and she liked the idea of a job with more regular hours.

An encounter with some electricians sparked her interest in that trade. That led her to enrol in the electrician and network cabling program at Herzing College.

After graduating in September 2022, she immediately went to work full time at a small company in Toronto that installs lighting, communications, and audio-video systems in commercial and high-end residential properties.

We spoke with Raechel to learn more about her experience at Herzing and how her career has unfolded. Here’s her story.

In Canada, women currently make up a very small percentage of the construction workforce, but a lot is changing within the industry in an effort to bump that number higher.

BuildForce Canada estimates that by 2032, the Canadian construction industry will require nearly 300,000 workers to keep up with demand. Many government agencies, construction organizations, and trade schools are doing everything they can to make sure that more women are included in this expansion.

A well-crafted skilled trades resume is a critical tool for your job search. It needs to showcase your skills in a way that captures an employer’s attention and convinces them to call you for an interview.

Most hiring managers spend just a few seconds deciding whether they should take that step. So how can you maximize your chances of getting noticed?

Updated December 2023

It only makes sense: if you want to learn how to install and repair gas lines, appliances, and equipment, you need to get your hands on the stuff. After all, there’s a huge difference between reading about the proper way to hook up a gas meter and actually performing the task in real life.

That’s why hands-on training is such a key part of gas technician training. It helps you develop actual job skills, meet certification requirements, and prepare for a successful career.

Thinking about getting into the gas trade? Keep reading to learn more about how hands-on training can benefit you.

Don DeLuca never expected to become a college instructor.

He’d always been a natural salesman, and when his computer sales job disappeared he switched to selling network cabling. His boss told him that in order to sell something, you have to know how to do it—so he learned how to be a cabler. He got so good at it that he eventually started his own business, DeLuca Cabling.

He came to Herzing looking for apprentices and ended up becoming a full-time instructor. And recently, he was recognized as our Instructor of the Year!

We caught up with Don this week to learn more about his remarkable story.

Construction project management focuses on shepherding a building project from beginning to end, always with an eye on budgets and timelines. It encompasses everything from resource allocation and scheduling management to risk assessment and cost control.

If you’re considering a career in this field, you probably have a few questions, like: What are the day-to-day responsibilities of construction project managers? How do they help get things built? And what skills do you need to thrive in this role?

Updated January 2024

The principles of heating and cooling remain the same in any setting, but there can be significant differences in residential vs commercial HVAC jobs. It’s not only about the type of building—system complexity, required skills, and working conditions are just a few of the elements that set these two environments apart.

Trying to decide which one is right for you?

Keep reading to learn what differentiates commercial vs residential HVAC work, what skills you need in each setting, and what pros and cons come with pursuing each path.