72400 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics

Lead statement

Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics install, maintain, troubleshoot, overhaul and repair stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equipment. Apprentices are also included in this occupation.

Main duties

• Read blueprints, diagrams and schematic drawings to determine work procedures
• Install, align, dismantle and move stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equipment, such as pumps, fans, tanks, conveyors, furnaces and generators according to layout plans using hand and power tools
• Operate hoisting and lifting devices such as cranes, jacks and tractors to position machinery and parts during the installation, set-up and repair of machinery
• Inspect and examine machinery and equipment to detect and investigate irregularities and malfunctions
• Install, troubleshoot and maintain power transmission, vacuum, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and programmable logic controls
• Adjust machinery and repair or replace defective parts
• Operate machine tools such as lathes and grinders to fabricate parts required during overhaul, maintenance or set-up of machinery
• Clean, lubricate and perform other routine maintenance work on machinery
• Construct foundations for machinery or direct other workers to construct foundations
• Assemble machinery and equipment prior to installation using hand and power tools and welding equipment.
• Apply mechanical repair principles and procedures to make sure that machinery runs properly
• Detect defects and excessive wear in machinery and identify slight differences in dimensions and shapes of component parts
• Repair and overhaul electrical and mechanical systems on textile machinery and replace and align moving parts as required
• Set-up and adjust complex machinery for new patterns and products
• Analyze information to perform maintenance such as cleaning and lubrication of textile machinery, troubleshooting, and to test running and proper operation of machines
• Confer with management to recommend equipment changes and modifications and in evaluating new equipment.

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school and training courses or a vocational program is usually required.
• Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program ora combination of over five years of work experience and industry courses in industrial machinery repair or millwrighting is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
• Industrial mechanic (millwright) trade certification is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories.
• Construction millwright trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Quebec and Ontario.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified industrial mechanics or millwrights upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
• Textile machinery mechanics hired from other industries may require additional training in textile processes and experience as a textile manufacturing machinery operator.
• Industrial sewing machine mechanic trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Quebec.

Example job titles

apprentice industrial mechanic · industrial mechanic apprentice · construction millwright · industrial mechanic · maintenance millwright · millwright · nuclear power station equipment mechanic · tannery machinery repairer · textile machinery repairer · textile machinery fixer · textile fixer · knitting machine mechanic · textile machine mechanic · industrial sewing machine mechanic · textile machinery mechanic

Wages (per hour)

Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.