By Shirley Neal
Special to The Toronto Sun

Do you really believe the yellow brick road started out as yellow?

Chances are it was really brick red, and someone painted it yellow. And chances are, it was one of the many individuals working in the trades who had a hand in it.

Students learn the essentials of decorating at the Ontario Industrial & Finishing Skills Centre.

When you walk through the front door of The Ontario Industrial & Finishing Skills Centre, located at 130 Toro Rd., many others will open, each one exploring new and different ways to decorate.

Students are taught the proper way to dress walls, use colours creatively and utilize different applications. Each term introduces new skills, while increasing proficiency with learned ones. Keeping up to date with new trends is a priority in this changing environment.

"The Ontario Industrial & Finishing Skills Centre was designed to encourage students to learn their craft in a safe, creative environment," says John Maceroni, director of education.

"The standards are set high and students are expected to rise to the challenge every time. If they don't, they are advised to seek another profession."

In the same facility, glazing and metal mechanics instructor Nick Angellotti teaches the intricate art of glazing glass and proper installation.

So the next time you see clouds reflected in a giant skyscraper, consider an apprentice may have created this window in the sky. Students learn how to create spaces of beauty in a safe environment. Building proper scaffolds and working with complicated equipment play a major role in their training.

Classes are a combination of theory and practical knowledge. The majority of hands- on training comes from actually working in the trade.

Students are paid a percentage of a full journeyperson's wage when working as an apprentice. That percentage is based on the number of hours accumulated as you pass each level while working in the trade of your choice.

Maceroni began his career as a painter/decorator in Windsor. His expertise and experience in the trade made him the logical choice to design a program aimed at helping painters upgrade their skills and increase safety awareness.

The project has been mentored by The International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades Union of Markham since 1991. Since being moved to a new location in Toronto, the program has grown and now includes training glaziers and metal mechanics.

The centre is funded in part by the provincial government and administered by officers of participating union locals and owners of contracting companies. The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities monitors each student's progress.

Over the next decade, the Canadian building industry will face a shortfall of qualified workers.

Taking part in apprenticeship programs can help you take control of your life and build your future by learning a new trade. Call 416-635-7300 for more information.



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