Trades & Apprenticeships

The Aircraft Maintenance Technician program trains students to troubleshoot and perform aircraft inspections, including airframe structures, engines and aircraft systems. They learn to disassemble and remove defective parts, assemble and install replacement parts, interpret technical manuals, drawings and blueprints, test aircraft systems, record problems, take actions to rectify the issues and maintain an accurate statement…

Take the first steps towards a career as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician with Northern Lights College Aircraft Mechanic Basics certificate training program! Learn new job skills in an exciting and challenging industry in our one-year program. No Transport Canada accreditation is provided for the certificate program but it may meet the acceptable criteria in the…

This program consists of Automotive Service Technician Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 Technical training as per the SkilledTradesBC prescribed curriculum. Automotive Service Technician is a nationally designated trade under the Interprovincial Red Seal program. Automotive Service Technicians examine, test and repair the parts and systems on cars and light trucks. They often use computerized diagnostic…

This program consists of Foundation and Level 1 Automotive Service Technician Technical training as per SkilledTradesBC prescribed curriculum. This program meets the SkilledTradesBC prerequisite for Level 2 technical training. Automotive Service Technician is a nationally designated trade under the Interprovincial Red Seal program. Automotive Service Technicians examine, test and repair the parts and systems on…

Program updateThis program is not accepting applications.Communities or organizations interested in offering this program locally can contact the office of the Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship Programs  The Building Maintenance program provides students with theoretical and practical skills in building maintenance and repairs. There are three levels that make up this certificate. Students learn to…

Carpenters build and repair a vast array of structures made of wood, wood-substitutes and other materials. Many work for construction companies, contractors and maintenance departments while others are self-employed. Carpenter is a nationally designated trade under the Interprovincial Red Seal program. Carpenters assemble and erect forms for concrete, wood and metal frame construction and use…

Cosmetologists provide personal care services that include caring for people’s hair, skin and nails. Professionals employed in the cosmetology industry include hairstylists, barbers and estheticians. This diploma program takes students through the Esthetics group of skin and nail treatments, and Hairstylist training. The Hairstylist and Esthetics programs are each approximately 32 weeks in length and…

Program updateApplications to this program are currently suspended.Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. The Advanced Certificate in Culinary Arts is an approximately 45-week program designed to encompass SkilledTradesBC Levels 1 and 2 of Professional Cook training, with a 30-hour Capstone course at the end. Students will perform all phases of kitchen activities including the preparation…

This program prepares students for entrance into the field of Electrician by providing them with the basic knowledge, skills and technical training that employers are seeking in new hires. As electricity is used for a variety of purposes including climate control, security and communications, electricians need to be proficient in many applications of electricity. Students…

This program includes Electrician Foundation Trades Training, a 60-hour practicum, and level 1 apprenticeship training. The program prepares students for entrance into the electrical field by providing them with the basic knowledge, skills and technical training employers are seeking in new hires. Students will complete meaningful hands-on projects that will prepare them for the workplace.…

The Enhanced Carpentry Foundation Program is a 32-week program in which students earn credit for Carpentry Levels 1 and 2 technical training. Theoretical and practical instruction is provided through a variety of projects including stairs, concrete forms, framed floors, walls and roofs, finishing work and rigging/hoisting. Students will spend approximately seventy percent of their time…

This is an approximately 32-week certificate program covering esthetics and spa therapy. It includes theory, infection control and hands-on training in facials, body massage, body treatments, aromatherapy, makeup artistry, waxing, lash lifting and tinting, brow tinting, manicures, pedicures, and gel polish and overlays. Students will use the basic principles of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry…

Program update  This program is not accepting applications.Communities or organizations interested in offering this program locally can contact the office of the Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship Programs    Explore Trades for Adults introduces students to a variety of trades paths available at NLC in a short period of time. Students will gain an understanding…

Program update This program is intended for high school students. Applications are accessed through High School dual-credit coordinators. For more information, please contact dualcredit@nlc.bc.ca. Adults may also be interested in Explore Trades for Adults.  The Explore Trades for Youth course introduces students in grades 9-12 (primary focus is grades 10 and 11) to a variety of…

Students receive training according to the provincial Hairstylist Apprenticeship curriculum, as established by SkilledTradesBC. Students who complete the NLC Foundation program are taught in a salon environment for the majority of their 990 hours and are credited with 300 work-based training hours.  Students are introduced to the basics of haircuts, styles, shampoo and scalp treatments…

This program consists of levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 Apprenticeship Technical Training. Upon completion of this course, students will be capable of working in the Heavy Duty, Truck and Transport, Diesel Engine, or Transport Trailer repair industry. The Heavy Mechanical Technical training encompasses the following four trades: Transport Trailer Technicians maintain, rebuild, overhaul, recondition,…

This program consists of the SkilledTrades – Heavy Mechanical Trades – Foundation training and a 2 week, mandatory work experience placement. There are four mechanical trades paths introduced in this program: Truck and Transport Mechanics diagnose, repair and service highway buses and trucks. They work for commercial transport vehicle dealers, garages and service stations. A…

Program update Applications to this program are currently suspended.Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. Industrial Instrumentation Mechanics install, repair, maintain, and adjust instruments used to measure and control industrial processes such as pulp and paper manufacturing and petrochemical production. They diagnose faults and perform preventative maintenance by inspecting and testing the instruments and systems in use. These…

Program update Applications to this program are currently suspended.Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. Industrial Instrumentation Mechanics install, repair, maintain, and adjust instruments used to measure and control industrial processes such as pulp and paper manufacturing and petrochemical production. They diagnose faults and perform preventative maintenance by inspecting and testing the instruments and systems in use. These types…

Millwrights dismantle, move, install, change layout, set-up, repair, overhaul and maintain all machinery and heavy mechanical equipment, including power shafting, pulleys, conveyors and hoists. They work from plans and blueprints and install equipment using hand tools, power tools, and hoisting equipment. Millwrights use grinders and lathes to make customized parts and construct machinery foundations. The Millwright Apprenticeship…

The Millwright Foundation Program consists of 24 weeks of foundation training and a 3 week (90 hour) practicum requirement and will provide the skills required for students to obtain level 1 technical training. A Millwright dismantles, moves, installs, changes layout, sets-up, repairs, overhauls and maintains all machinery and heavy mechanical equipment, including power shafting, pulleys,…

Program updateApplications to this program are currently suspended. Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. As the energy industry in Canada evolves, this program has been updated and redeveloped in consultation with industry professionals. It is now Field Operations Specialist-Hydrocarbon Resources. Registration opens May 1, 2025.

Program update This program is not accepting applications.Communities or organizations interested in offering this program locally can contact the office of the Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship Programs  The People Obtaining Workplace Employment Requirements (POWER) program prepares students for entry into trades training and employment. Students will learn the essential skills required to begin training in…

Program updateApplications to this program are currently suspended.Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. The Piping Trades Foundation Training Program encompasses the foundational technical training required to enter into the Plumber and Steamfitter/Pipefitter trades. This training includes all the relevant technical training to simultaneously complete the Foundation/Level 1 Skilled Trades BC (STBC) learning outcomes for both…

Program updateApplications to all four levels of this program are currently suspended. Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. This program prepares students to learn all four levels of technical training within the Plumbing Industry. It focuses on trade-specific topics per the BC Plumbing Code, enabling students to carry out various skills in residential, commercial, and…

The 7 month Power Engineering Program takes learners through 4th Class Power Engineering and 210 hours of firing time on the NLC Boiler.  Upon completion students will qualify for the Technical Safety BC Examinations by successfully completing Parts A and B of the 4th Class Power Engineering component of the NLC program. The focus is to…

The Professional Cook Indigenous Content program follows SkilledTradesBC prescribed course curriculum focusing on Indigenous content. Students will learn about the traditions and history of food sources, including foraging and gathering, and the preparation methods used in the Indigenous tradition. They will also explore medicinal properties of food, as well as food storage and preservation methods.  Students…

The Professional Cook program follows SkilledTradesBC prescribed course curriculum for institutional entry to Professional Cook 1. Students will perform all phases of kitchen activities including the preparation and presentation of vegetables, soups, sauces, meat, fish and poultry; cold kitchen items; desserts, baking, pastry, basic menu planning/costing as well as knowledge of safety, sanitation, and food…

Program updateThis program is not currently accepting applications.If you are interested in this program contact the Trades Department (trades@nlc.bc.ca) The Professional Cook program follows SkilledTradesBC prescribed course curriculum for institutional entry to Professional Cook 2. Students will perform all phases of kitchen activities building on the skills and knowledge learned in Level 1. These include…

The Professional Cook program follows SkilledTradesBC prescribed course curriculum for direct entry to Professional Cook levels 1, 2, or 3.  Learners will perform all phases of kitchen activities including the preparation and presentation of vegetables, soups, sauces, meat, fish and poultry; cold kitchen items; desserts, baking, pastry; basic menu planning/costing as well as knowledge of safety,…

A Welder is a person who has training in and is capable of welding ferrous and non-ferrous metals in all positions, on both plate and/or pipe, using SMAW, GTAW, and FCAW processes. Welders use manual or semi-automatic welding equipment. They use flame-cutting, brazing and air-arcing equipment. Additionally, they use machines such as brakes, shears and…

Welders weld ferrous and non-ferrous metals in all positions, on both plate and pipe, using SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding), GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding), and FCAW (Flux-Cored Arc Welding) processes. Welders use manual or semi-automatic welding equipment. They use flame-cutting, brazing, and air-arcing equipment. Additionally, they use brakes, shears, and other metal straightening and…

Program updateApplications to this program are currently suspended.Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. Welder-Fabricators use manual and semi-automatic welding equipment, flame-cutting, brazing, and air-arcing equipment to fabricate plates and construct templates and jigs. They also manufacture structural components from blueprints and structural steel drawings by interpreting the common weld symbols and bolted connections. Completing this…

Program updateApplications to this program are currently suspended.Please contact info@nlc.bc.ca for more information. Students in the Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician program explore the theory supporting wind turbines and the practical maintenance procedures required to maintain turbine output. Safe work practices are stressed throughout the training. Upon completion of the program, students are prepared to enter…