All youth are trained in PPE standards. They must show up each and every day fully equipped (i.e. appropriate clothing, safety glasses, CSA approved work boots, hard hat). Failure to do so means that the youth is sent home and not paid for the day. Youth are supported to purchase their PPE upon entry into the program, which is helpful as they make the transition from unemployment or part-time (and often unrelated) work to full-time construction work. While PPE is a proper safety standard, youth and staff explained how safety requirements are much higher at Train for Trades than at other places they have worked.

“One [rule] is big…safety, we’re all about safety. That’s our main thing, we’re all about safety, safety, safety.  You can’t go working without your protective equipment or anything like that; that just never happens, there is no go.  There’s other companies out there I’ve been working for for years, they don’t even ask you to wear so much as a pair of safety glasses.  Here, it’s mandatory which is wicked because it’s so dangerous. Even something as simple as having to wear steel-toe boots all the time.  There’s companies out there you can just wear sneakers if you wanted to and you could break your feet, you could get something in your eye.  Just a hard hat, just a simple thing like that.” —Dylan, age 22, Tier 3 participant, Train for Trades