From the Classroom to a Copper Mine

“These four graduates earned this opportunity through their determination and hard work,” said Nicole Johnny, Executive Director of the Citxw Nlaka’pamux Assembly.

On August 14, 2026, four participants from local Indigenous communities graduated from the Introduction to Millwrighting (ITM) program in Merritt, B.C. They went on to begin apprenticeships with RKM Services on Teck’s Highland Valley Copper Mine Life Extension Project.

Paid work placements with RKM had been part of the plan when the ITM course began in July. Six weeks of classroom and hands-on training prepared the participants for that next step, with financial assistance during the course.

The Millwright Regional Council (MRC), UBC Millwright Local 2736 and Build a Dream developed the program with the Lower Nicola Indian Band and the Assembly. Its purpose was to give local Indigenous people a route into skilled work in their own region, connecting their preparation to the mine project.

Apprenticeship combines supervised paid work with further classroom training as new Millwrights learn to install, maintain and repair industrial machinery. It takes an average of four years to build the hours and skills required for qualification. The six-week introductory course was the beginning of that longer commitment.

The Merritt intake has finished, and entry arrangements vary by location and background. If you would like to explore how training and paid work could fit together for you, start with the MRC’s Become a Millwright form. Include your résumé and choose the option for people interested in apprenticeship; an MRC representative will follow up. Ask about training costs and financial support, and how apprentice work opportunities are arranged. You can start that conversation without previous Millwright experience.

About the Millwright Regional Council

The Millwright Regional Council (MRC) is composed of twelve affiliated Local Unions of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) across Canada. The UBC Millwrights are vital partners in diverse industries such as energy, automotive, aerospace, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. ubcmillwrights.ca

For media inquiries, please contact:

Andrew Bredin
Director of Communications
Millwright Regional Council
416-757-5161
abredin@ubcmillwrights.ca