u/chokle

Hey r/VancouverStartup,

Just wanted to share a quick milestone — I officially incorporated my company federally this week.

I'm building a workforce tech platform that connects retiring skilled tradespeople with apprentices for structured mentorship aligned with Red Seal certification standards. The gap I'm solving: non-union employers rarely invest in the field-level mentorship that turns apprentices into competent journeypersons.

Timeline so far:

• Week 1: Posted about the concept on r/VancouverJobs — got 7 organic leads (mentors and apprentices) within days
• Week 2: Built a live MVP, landed 120+ LinkedIn reactions, initiated government partnership conversations with SkilledTradesBC and NRC-IRAP
• This week: Incorporated federally. Next step is IRAP funding ($500K non-repayable)

I'm a 20-year construction professional (JM structural welder, pile driving, marine construction) doing this solo for now. Looking for a technical co-founder eventually — someone who wants to build marketplace infrastructure for a $374B CAD market.

Happy to answer questions about the incorporation process, IRAP, or building in the trades/workforce space. Also want to shout out this sub — the Solo Techies thread and Discord have been solid resources.

Keep building. 🔥

Seeing a lot of posts here from people considering career pivots. If trades are on your radar, here's the honest picture from someone with 20 years in construction:

The demand is real:

• 300,000+ skilled trades positions to fill in Canada by 2030
• Red Seal certification is available to every worker — union and non-union
• Trades like plumbing, electrical, welding, and heavy equipment tech are all short-staffed

The challenge:

• Most non-union employers don't invest in structured mentorship
• You get your classroom training, but the real learning happens on-site with experienced people
• Those experienced people are retiring — and taking decades of knowledge with them

What you should know:

• Pre-apprentice programs (VCC, BCIT, Sheridan, SAIT) are your entry point
• Get your safety certs early: WHMIS, Working at Heights, First Aid, Fall Protection
• Having a vehicle and willingness to travel opens doors fast
• The Red Seal path takes 4-5 years depending on the trade, but journeypersons are well-compensated

I'm a JM structural welder with 20 years across shipbuilding, ironworking, pile driving, and marine construction. Happy to answer questions about getting into the trades or what to expect.

The work is hard, but the career ceiling is real and the demand isn't slowing down.

20 years in BC construction here (JM welder, pile driving, marine construction). Been thinking about this a lot lately.

The Red Seal system is standardized for everyone — union and non-union alike. That's not the gap. The gap is in field-level mentorship. The stuff between classroom and exam that actually makes you competent.

Union sites have a culture of structured mentorship built in. Most non-union employers don't invest in it because it costs money. And now the experienced guys who used to informally mentor the new workers are retiring out.

BC needs 85,000+ trades positions filled by 2030. The certification path exists. The on-the-job support system between classroom and Red Seal doesn't — at least not on the non-union side.

Curious what other trades workers or contractors in Vancouver are seeing. Is the knowledge gap getting worse on your sites?