Since 1994, the CTMA and its members have recognized, honoured, and provided encouragement to outstanding apprentices and pre-apprentices for the contribution they make to the industry. The CTMA’s Annual Apprentice Awards not only recognize these individuals, but also increases the awareness and value of skilled trades training, that highlights the competitiveness of the tooling and machining industry in Canada.
This year, the CTMA celebrated the achievements of six very deserving individuals (one pre-apprentice; five apprentices) in the precision metalworking industry.
Congratulations to the following winners:

Alicia is a General Machinist Apprentice who started taking a machine shop class in high school because it was completely unfamiliar but intriguing to her. It became her favorite class and was where she always had her highest marks, besides math. She is the first female in her family to work in a trade and has 3 younger sisters who have had a great role model to emulate and as they graduate, they are now pursuing apprenticeships in mechanics and wood working.
Matchtech says that Alicia is passionate about the work, and this shows in the work that she is producing. She is always on time, works extremely well with the team, embraces challenging work doing setups and operating the machines independently in both custom and production level projects with the ability to shift to other assets as demand is required (including 3, 4, 5-axis milling centers, and lathes). She maintains preset tools, performs daily machine maintenance while the machines are in cycle, and is timely at part changeover to minimizing spindle down time. All marks of a great tradesperson.

Gabriel is a Tool & Die Apprentice and joined the Manor team doing general labour duties and they soon realised that he would be a great candidate for their internal training centre. Gabriel says that prior to his employment with Manor, he had no knowledge of what it meant to be a tool and die maker, but from 4 years working in a butcher shop, he knew he wanted to work with his hands. Upon entering Manor’s training center, he started to learn the skills that he had been so impressed with watching other tool & die makers and he realized it was the right choice for him.
Manor Tool says the reason they chose to nominate Gabriel is that he has truly grown into an exemplary apprentice. Gabriel’s apprenticeship journey is truly admirable. He started with Manor working hard doing general labour duties, running high volume production, accepting any job given to him and showing he is capable of punctually being at work every day. He can complete tasks given to him fast, is up to learning challenging skills, and he is often found helping other apprentices.

During his final year in high school year, Liam had the chance to be a part of the OYAP program at Samco Machinery. This program was truly life changing and has gotten him to the point he is now. Being ahead of the game has allowed him to accelerate and learn quickly. He says that he was always in search of learning something new and that becoming a Millwright has been the perfect opportunity to achieve his goals and earn new skills.
Samco nominated Liam because of his dedication, hard work, and passion for learning. He is always willing to try new things and do the best he can. He has a true commitment to his millwright apprenticeship, has a willingness to grow, is a true team player and tell us that he has made a big impact on their team.

Daniel is a General Machinist Apprentice and says he choose a career in this industry because he started learning through the high school OYAP program and found it interesting. He learns fast and has already had other apprentices learn from him as he has had them assigned to work under his direction. He likes to understand different equipment centers within the shop and believes in doing things right the first time.
In their nomination, Unique states that Daniel joined their team full-time after completing 1 year of the OYAP program in high school. He’s been a great asset to the team and is always willing to help others. During his first year, he rotated through all departments of the shop and excelled particularly in the boring mill department. This is where he has been settling in and finding his passion in the trade.

Owen decided this career was right for him because since he was a little boy, he always wanted to work with his hands and loved cars. In high school, he was awarded the manufacturing of the year award from his manufacturing teacher and XL Tool, which is now his employer. After school hours, he was the leader of a machining club that builds EV cars that race against other schools.
XL Tool told us that Owen was a co-op student for them, and he quickly showed he has what it takes to be a good tool maker. He shows up ready to work with a positive attitude everyday and is eager to learn and take on new challenges. They look forward to his ongoing success and feel he has a bright future.

Joseph says that several years ago, his brother began his apprenticeship as a machinist and the passion he demonstrated for the trade helped pique his interest in precision machining. An opening for a Material Handler at Armo Tool became available and he knew that by working hard and putting forward a positive attitude, he would get the opportunity to begin his apprenticeship as a machinist.
Armo told us that technical skills, strong work ethic, emerging leadership qualities, innovative contributions, and commitment to personal and professional growth make him a standout candidate for the pre-apprenticeship award. His dedication and enthusiasm not only benefit him personally, but also significantly contribute to the success and positive atmosphere of in their company.

“It was my pleasure to introduce these apprentices to everyone at this year’s AGM and it is rewarding to see their dedication and commitment to learning new skills that will support them throughout their careers,” said Cattle. “Each recipient was awarded a selection of the following items:
A Cash Award of either $500, $1,000, or $1,500. A $500 KBC gift certificate. Solid Works CAD Essentials Training, donated by CAD Micro, valued at $2,500. A one year subscription to E-MasterCam Training and an educational licence, valued at $560, donated by In-House Solutions. A Mitutoyo Digimatic Machinist Tool Kit, donated by Mitutoyo and KBC Tools, valued at $500. A $250 cash award and hand tools donated by Sandvik, with a total value of $500.” Cattle then graciously thanked the sponsors. “This program would not be possible without the ongoing generous support from members and sponsors. Thank you to the 2024 Apprentice Award sponsors”