The trades trailer is coming back to Clearwater in February but enrollment from the community in welding courses to be offered in it has been disappointing.
That was the report from councilor Brent Buck during a District of Clearwater council meeting last Tuesday evening.
The number of students enrolled from Clearwater Secondary School will be sufficient to ensure the trailer comes to the community, the local trades instructor said. However, administrators are disappointed with the lack of interest shown so far by those not in the high school.
Welders are much in demand, Buck pointed out, and the training can lead to many other opportunities.
Mayor John Harwood commented that enrolling the welding program is especially beneficial for secondary school students because they can be well on their way to getting a trades ticket before graduating.
The trades trailer or mobile training lab is a joint project of Thompson Rivers University and School District 73.
The mobile lab started work in 2008. It cost about $1.3 million and took one year to build, and is housed in a 53-foot trailer unit that expands into a 1,000 square foot training facility. The lab can provide up to 12 training stations for the welding, electrical, plumbing, piping, refrigeration mechanic, heavy-duty mechanic and millwright trades.
The course being offered is a 24-week Welding Level C foundation program.
The trades trailer last was in Clearwater from September, 2008 to March, 2009.