12 weeks
Carpentry & Joinery
Hand and power tools, framing, formwork and finishing carpentry in a full-scale workshop.
In-person Course details
Construction & Building Trades
General Construction
A broad, practical grounding for working on a building site. Rather than specialising, you rotate through the tasks a general operative is asked to do every day — setting out, mixing and pouring concrete, laying blocks, erecting and striking formwork, and finishing off — so you arrive on site useful from the first morning.
- Duration
- 12 weeks (3 months)
- Delivery
- In-person training
- Format
- Training and workshop style
- Study load
- 20 hours per week
- Class size
- 14 learners maximum
- Award
- CTC Certificate of Completion
- Visa route
- Visitor Visa
- Campus
- Nanaimo, British Columbia
What you will be able to do
By the end of the twelve weeks you will have demonstrated each of these practically, under supervision, in our workshops.
- Set out and excavate to a drawing, working to level
- Mix, place and finish concrete to specification
- Lay block and brick to a straight, plumb and level standard
- Work safely as part of a site crew, including at height
Course structure
Twelve weeks, running Monday to Friday at 20 hours per week. Roughly seventy percent of contact time is practical work.
- 1Week 1–2 — Site safety, PPE, manual handling and reading a site plan
- 2Week 3–4 — Setting out, levelling, and groundwork including trenches and bases
- 3Week 5–6 — Concrete: mixing, pouring, compacting, curing and finishing
- 4Week 7–8 — Blocklaying and bricklaying: bonds, mortar, plumb and level
- 5Week 9–10 — Formwork, steel fixing and working safely at height
- 6Week 11–12 — Plastering and rendering, snagging, and a team build project
Where it can lead
This is entry-level vocational training. It is designed to make you employable in supporting and assistant roles, and to give you a credible starting point for an apprenticeship or further certification.
Construction labourerGeneral site operativeGroundworkerBricklayer’s assistant
Entry requirements
- Minimum age 18 at the start of the intake
- Secondary school certificate or equivalent work experience
- Conversational English (CLB 4 / IELTS 4.5 equivalent) — no test certificate required
- A valid passport with at least 6 months validity beyond the intake end date
- Able to carry out physical work outdoors in all weather
No documents are required to apply. We may ask to see your passport and qualification certificates during enrolment, after your place is confirmed.
How to apply
The full process takes around ten weeks from application to arrival. Here are the first four steps.
- 1
Submit application
YouComplete the online application form with your personal details, qualification, and the subject area and course you would like to study. No documents need to be uploaded.
15 minutes
- 2
Application review
CTCThe CTC admissions team reviews your application against the entry requirements for your chosen course and confirms seat availability for your intended intake.
3–5 working days
- 3
Receive invitation letter
CTCSuccessful applicants receive an official invitation letter by email, confirming the course, intake dates, delivery mode and fees. This letter supports your visitor visa application.
Within 2 working days of a decision
- 4
Pay CAD 150 admission fee
YouPay the one-off admission fee to confirm your place. Your seat is held for the intake named on your invitation letter.
Within 14 days of the invitation letter
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Ready to start General Construction?
Twelve weeks, in person, on the tools. Submit your application in about fifteen minutes — no documents to upload.
12 weeks · In-person training · Study permit not required — attend on a visitor visa