Training the Next Generation of Bicycle Mechanics

To: Bluedot Living
From: Charlie's FreeWheels
Subject: Pre-Employment Training Program

While winter isn't biking season for everyone in Toronto, we at Charlie's FreeWheels are busy working on bikes even when the snow flies — including a cool program we're running that offers participants hands-on learning and advanced lessons on bike mechanics to prepare them for entry level bike mechanic jobs. 

Charlie's FreeWheels is a community bike shop located in the Moss Park neighbourhood in east downtown Toronto that runs free youth programming year-round. Our core program, Build-A-Bike, consists of 24 hours of hands-on learning over eight weeks during which youth aged 12 to 25 learn how to build their own bike. Students leave the program with a helmet, lock, front and back lights, a bell, and the bike they built, along with the skills to repair it themselves and ride it safely. We also hold drop-in hours at our shop weekly, where anyone aged 25 or under is able to access our workshop to fix their own bikes, use our tools, and get help and advice from our experienced mechanics.

We believe that the importance of cycling as a sustainable and affordable mode of transportation cannot be overstated, especially in the context of climate change and urban congestion. Riding a bike can make day-to-day transportation faster, more convenient, greener, and more fun. And with the costs of transportation and living so high, many Torontonians are taking up this affordable method of transportation to navigate the city. One of Toronto's 2040 Net Zero goals is to convert 75% of trips under five kilometres from driving to cycling and other forms of micro-mobility. The bike mechanic industry will need to grow by 10% to 20% every year in Toronto in sales and servicing to meet this goal and the anticipated demand for cycling.

That's where Charlie's FreeWheels Pre-Employment Training Program (PET) comes in. During our five-week program, 10 participants received 40 hours of hands-on bike mechanic training to prepare them for entry level jobs doing bike repairs. Participants had the chance to learn about the variety of brake systems, go in-depth with their understanding of drivetrains, and fine tune their skills at adjusting bearing systems. The program runs from January to early March, so when bike shops begin their hiring for the season, our mechanics will be freshly trained and ready to apply for jobs. We also serve a nutritious home-cooked vegetarian meal with each class to ensure that food insecurity is not a barrier to participation in our program. 

We offer this Pre-Employment Training Program as a member group of the Bike Training Collectives Canada, whose mission is to train new bike mechanics to support this growing industry. Through the support of the Peter Gilgan Foundation and City of Toronto, the collective (which also includes Culturelink Bike Hub and The Learning Enrichment Foundation) is committed to ensuring that the industry grows in a diverse and equitable way, focusing on youth, women, and racialized individuals. With that aim in mind, we also offer a stream of Build-A-Bike classes specifically for women, trans, femme, non-binary, and gender non-conforming youth. This class creates a safer space for those who have historically been underrepresented in the cycling community and who might otherwise be unable to access safe bicycling.

Being part of the Bike Training Collectives Canada was a natural choice for us and our mission. We strive to empower youth and help people grow, and teaching them employable skills that can help them find jobs fits our mission perfectly. 

Here is what some graduates of the program had to say about their experience:

“The PET program was such a wonderful opportunity to gain more experience and learn more about working in a bike shop. Charlie's continues to be one of my favourite places in the city.”
—Calista, PET Program Graduate

“It was really cool to learn to fix so many different bikes in such a welcoming community space.”
—Beck, PET Program Graduate

“The PET class has been the highlight of my week! I really appreciate getting to work with my hands and create something each week. And the sense of community at Charlie's is really something special.”
—Grayson, PET Program Graduate

“I've learned more in 40 hours at Charlie's FreeWheels than in 2 years at business school.”
—Brian, PET Program Graduate

You can learn more about Charlie's FreeWheels' mission and our free youth programming on our website, following us on Instagram, or by signing up for our email newsletter.

Read about Toronto’s solar-powered laundromat.