ACCE 10th Anniversary: Algonquin Alumni Says Ottawa Offers Endless Possibilities for Skilled Trades Grads

Posted on Wednesday, November 24th, 2021

In honour of the tenth anniversary of the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence (ACCE), we caught up with a few ACCE alumni to see what they’re up to now.

When Jeff McCoy decided to get out of a job he didn’t like, and into the trades, he chose Algonquin for his training mainly because it was convenient.

Now working as a licensed plumber, and having completed two trade programs at the College, McCoy believes he couldn’t have chosen better even if his education options had been far wider.

He was impressed by the flexibility of the instructors in his courses who readily adapted to different learning styles. “With the trades, one person is not always going to learn in the same way as the next person,” says McCoy. “I found (the Algonquin instructors) were really good in accommodating.”

“It’s hard to do (poorly) in a sense because you have peers with you and everything is broken down for you to learn. I think the professors here are fantastic at what they do.”

McCoy started at Algonquin in Welding and Fabrication Techniques, which is available as a weekend program for students who don’t have time for full-time course work. Part way through the welding program, he started in the Plumbing (Apprenticeship) program.

He is now the plumbing foreman for two large construction jobs in Ottawa, one working on the new big Canadian Tire going in at Carlingwood Mall, and the other working on a 26-storey apartment building that includes townhouses, an outdoor gym, a dog spa, and more.

He works long hours, but loves his job and is always learning, saying the options for work in the trades in Ottawa are endless.

“We need more trades people in the city,” he says. “If you were to get into any trade now, you would have work for the next at least ten years. Steady, really busy work.”

He is passionate about Algonquin as a place for people who are considering this route, and speaks glowingly of the Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence (ACCE).

“I love the ACCE building,” he says, explaining that the architecture is “amazing”—“the long stairwell, the floating hubs”—and that it has everything you need to study, work, and network all in one building.

“Networking is something the ACCE building really offers,” he says, saying that Algonquin promotes connecting with others by having gigantic lunchrooms and spaces to gather together, and this is an important part of working in the industry.

“My experience [at ACCE] was fantastic. The teachers—they’re all very relatable guys. They’re all guys that have been in the field. They know lots. They’re all master of their trade,” he says.

“They speak to you through experience,” he adds, “very relatable experience. They’re not just speaking at you.”


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