Archive for the ‘New Projects’ Category

12 Days of Christmas Ornaments

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Tradeworks is pleased to release our new, “12 Days of Christmas” inspired ornaments this holiday! This set features laser engraved pieces with unique designs, perfect for the holidays. Each ornament is made out of wood sourced from Beetle Kill BC Pine, which is typically left unused or thrown out. The pieces are individually carved using a laser engraver, and assembled by the Tradeworks Custom Products team. These ornaments are perfect for anyone who wants to do their part for the environment, while supporting social justice enterprises.

Approximately 3 inches in diameter, the ornaments are laser cut with 3D layering to let the images stand in relief against the green tree needles.  The full set comes in a beautiful wooden display/storage box, or you can purchase them individually, or in sets of 3.

The ornaments are created at Tradeworks Custom Products, which provides employment for inner-city women, who want to build both self-confidence and gain experience in the workplace. The initial ten-week training program is designed to teach women basic skills, the fundamentals of woodworking and joinery, and even laser engraving. In the end, our goal is to assist women in developing the skills they need to progress in a trade of their own choice. Participants come into this program with backgrounds of everything from personal trauma and addiction issues, to single mothers looking to build a better future. By purchasing these custom wood products you can help women lift themselves out of poverty, and create new hope in their life.

Check out www.tradeworks.bc.ca/store

Fab Shop supplies new BC Hydro Board Table

Thursday, August 19th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

BC Hydro’s boardroom has a new table built at the Tradeworks Fab Shop.  BC Hydro is committed to supporting the new social enterprise and training program and the first order placed with the Fab Shop was for this new table. And the octagonal maple veneered table has now been installed.

Tradeworks has received great feedback that the new furniture was well regarded by directors when the BC Hydro board met earlier this month.

The Fab Shop is capable of producing a wide array of products, up to and including custom furnishings of this kind.  The table reflects high quality mill work and assembly.

Primarily, the Fab Shop is planning to provide training and employment opportunities to at-risk youth.  The 2010 games legacy project is set to launch formally in October. The project is based on the RONA 2010 Fabrication Shop that operated in the run-up to the winter games.  The staff team includes highly skilled carpenters who can undertake more complex design and finishing work, as well as supervise the trainees.

The Fab Shop project is being structured as a social enterprise that will provide services in the marketplace to clients such as BC Hydro.  The work generated for trainees is the key bridging experience for them, as people who have little or no employment history and need to develop their workplace skills.  Recruitment for new participants will start in October 2010.

The Fab Shop is also keen to talk to other prospective clients.

Vancouver 2010 Banners Signing Event

Friday, August 6th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

John Furlong, VANOC CEO, personally signing 2010 Winter Games Street Banners

The City of Vancouver donated 800 pairs of Vancouver 2010 street banners to Tradeworks Training Society to help in fundraising for The Fab Shop legacy project, a carpentry training program for at-risk youth, initially launched as a sustainable social initiative created by the 2010 Winter Games. On July 29th, 2010, The Fab Shop held a banner signing event in which John Furlong, VANOC CEO and three Olympian athletes – Kristi Richards, Tom Velisek and Justin Lamoureux, came to sign banners that will be sold online in support of this legacy project. (more…)

A ‘legacy’ Fabrication Shop

Friday, June 18th, 2010 | Comments (6,327)

Tradeworks is now planning a new ‘Fab Shop’, based on the unique 2010 Fab Shop project sponsored by VANOC  in the two years running up to the winter games. Tradeworks was a partner with RONA and VANOC in the creation of the unique 26 week training and work experience program; a program designed to give targeted populations a real chance at a trades career.  The four initial cohorts included at-risk youth, women, Aboriginals, and immigrants who were struggling to find their places in the workforce. The project was a ‘Games’ first, championed as a sustainability and inclusivity initiative by VANOC.

The program combines training and a social enterprise, providing trainees with carpentry instruction and then giving them up to 20 weeks of work in a production operation. In addition to the technical skills training, participants will also be coached and supported to help them stay focused,  deal with problems outside the workplace, and better understand the expectations of employers. (more…)