BIG MOVE FORWARD
Matcom hosts Lift & Move career fair to show off trade industry opportunities
Moving heavy machinery takes skill, experience
and enthusiasm. A successful move requires a
staff of diligent tradespeople who are committed
to efficiency, safety and quality. Though many are
unaware of the variety of careers that exist in the field
of machinery moving, the dedicated tradespeople that
lift, move and install industrial machinery are the backbone
of the Canadian industrial sector. Machinery moving
is necessary for industries ranging from manufacturing,
aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, packaging and
everything in between.
This is the message that was spread to over 200 high
school and college students at the first Lift & Move Canada
career fair. The career fair was hosted by Matcom on May 30,
at their facility in Vaughan, Ont., with the goal of promoting
careers in the specialized transport, rigging and crane sectors
to Canadian youth. This full-day career exploration event
EDUCATION
featured dozens of industry professionals, learning stations,
a marketplace, simulators and more. By hosting the first ever
Lift & Move career fair in Canada, Matcom helped restore the
prominence of the what they call the “forgotten trades.”
“We saw that many people – and especially youth – often
understood how goods were made, but were less aware of
how those goods got into positions where they were useful.
We sought to demonstrate the skills necessary to move
and place objects,” said Matcom public relations associate
Alexander McCleave.
Matcom president Matt Rix witnessed firsthand the power
of Lift & Move after travelling to Portland, Ore., and attending
a Lift & Move career fair hosted by NessCampbell Crane +
Rigging. Since 2015, Lift & Move USA has been addressing the
growing skilled trades gap by partnering with industry leaders
like NessCampbell to host career fairs for students across the
United States. Lift & Move career fairs provide youth with the
By Kelly Gray
PHOTOS: PHILLIP STEWART
Students pose in front of a Matcom
truck, eager for the day ahead
PILING CANADA 65