Edmonton Journal presents Trades Alberta

trades spring 2013

alberta

>> the best of a weekly series published by the edmonton journal

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contents

Spring 2013

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the facts

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alberta needs more tradespeople Here’s why and where

6 7 8 10

not sure how to start?

Websites for more information on trades schools and programs

how apprenticing works As a student or as an adult

profile:

leave dead-end jobs behind

28 29

Careers are challenging, lucrative

profile: Crane operator Kolby Nepoose, 26

all trades needed in oilsands

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Most sought-after trade in oilsands

labour shortage encourages older workers

Apprentice welder Anthony Marks, 48

starting fresh in a new place NorQuest College prepares newcomers for trades careers

safety

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safe sites are good for business

Companies train employees to know and to care

for parents supporting your child’s career Solid information helps parents

scholarships

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financial help for apprentices Money available for both adults and high school students

Publisher john connolly Editor helen metella | hmetella@edmontonjournal.com Managing Editor sasha roeder-mah | sroedermah@edmontonjournal.com

Director, Strategic Partnerships & Projects sandra marocco

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profile:

Electricians, welders and pipefitters among key positions

power engineering draws on love of tech

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Barbershop owner Linda Ha, 32

immigrants

profile: Shovel operator Mandy Sumner, 26

profile:

Machinist, 50, starts own company in mid-life

matching first nations youth to great trades

oilsands

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women welcome in the trades

be your own boss

Apprentice powerline technician Peyton Dutton, 18

Info sessions, internships and scholarships smooth the way

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24 26

find it online

Cold Lake’s employment readiness program teaches life skills, goal-setting

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on the cover

women

The steps to a career in the trades

preparation

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Contributors c athie bartlett, shaughn butts, jane cardillo, bruce edwards, jason franson, pamela irving, ed kaiser, cailynn klingbeil, omar mouallem, Ian stewart Designer Christine Pearce

Published by the Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc., at the Journal building, P.O. Box 2421, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2S6

TRADES ALBERTA is a partnership initiative with CAREERS: The Next Generation.

spring 2013

Sponsored by: Cenovus Energy Inc. CLAC – Christian Labour Association of Canada Diversified Transportation Ltd. Government of Alberta Suncor Energy Inc. Syncrude Canada Ltd. Women Building Futures

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Alberta needs more tradespeople Here’s WHY and WHERE The forecast

Short-term demands ■■ Tradespeople in high demand in the short term, according to the Alberta Government’s Short-Term Employment Forecast for 20122014: - Industrial instrument technicians - Industrial mechanics - Heavy-duty equipment mechanics -A utomotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics ■■ Tradespeople in moderately high demand to 2014: - Hairstylists and barbers - Plumbers - Insulators - Floor-covering installers - Electricians - Machinists - Ironworkers - Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics - Heavy-equipment operators - Crane operators ■■ Tradespeople in medium demand to 2014: - Steamfitters - Pipefitters and sprinkler system installers - Carpenters - Cabinetmakers - Painters and decorators - Contractors and supervisors in the carpentry trades - Welders and related machine operators - Construction millwrights - Industrial mechanics

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tradesalberta

By Cailynn Klingbeil

Longer-term demands

■■ The Alberta government predicts that employers here will need a total of 114,000 extra workers through to 2021.

■■ Of those 114,000 workers, almost one quarter (24,747) will be tradespeople, transportation and equipment operators, and workers in related occupations.

Processing, manufacturing and utilities will be short another 3,183 workers.

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■■ The trades occupations in Alberta that will have a cumulative shortage through to 2021 are: - Plumbers - Pipefitters - Gasfitters - Carpenters and cabinetmakers - Masonry and plastering trades - Other construction trades - Electrical trades - Machinists -M etal forming, shaping and erecting trades -M achinery and transportation equipment mechanics - Automotive-service technicians - Other mechanics -H eavy-equipment operators and crane operators -S upervisory positions in many trades

Oilsands trades in demand ■■ The Petroleum Human Resources Council reports that in-demand trades in the oilsands include: - Power engineers - Heavy-equipment operators -H eavy-duty equipment mechanics - Industrial electricians - Instrumentation technicians - Millwrights - Welders - Machinists - Crane operators

Numbers of trades in Alberta ■■ There are 50 designated trades in Alberta, with 19 requiring compulsory certification and 31 requiring optional certification.

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n aging population combined with economic growth is creating a serious shortage of skilled workers. Many opportunities await people entering the trades, now and for years into the future.

Areas of province needing tradespeople ■■ Apprentices and journeypeople find work across Alberta.

■■ While the demand for skilled tradespeople is high in the Wood Buffalo region, there is a trickle-down effect on the rest of the province.

■■ Apprentices with a certificate in their trade can write an interprovincial exam to obtain a Red Seal endorsement, which allows them to practise their trade across the country.

Amount of education/ apprenticeship required ■■ Educational qualifications vary per apprenticeship. If applicants have not completed the high school courses required for their trade, they can write a trade entrance exam.

■■ Applicants must achieve 70 per cent or higher on their trade entrance exam to enter the trade. There are five different entrance exams (depending on the trade) made up of 100 multiple-choice questions that measure competency in math, science and English/ reading comprehension.

■■ Apprentices must first find an employer willing to hire them, and then register as an apprentice through Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training, plus take the entrance exam, if required.

■■ Apprenticeship is a form of postsecondary education. Apprentices spend about 20 per cent of their time learning skills in a classroom and the other 80 per cent receiving paid on-the-job training with an employer.

■■ Depending on the trade, an apprenticeship can take two to four years to complete.

Other opportunities ■■ There are many opportunities for advancement within a trade, from supervisory to management positions.

■■ Some tradespeople are self-employed and run their own businesses, while others take on leadership roles in bigger companies.

■■ A new trades-to-degrees pathway at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) allows qualified trades professionals to enter the third year of a bachelor of business administration program.

■■ Some tradespeople become educators and teach their trade to post-secondary or secondary students. Bridging programs help qualified tradespeople earn education degrees.

Pay ■■ Apprentices’ wages vary from 40 to 90 per cent of the journeyperson’s wage, depending on the trade and how much training the apprentice has completed.

■■ Average hourly wages in Alberta for journeypersons depend on the trade and where a tradesperson is working. A heavyduty equipment mechanic in Calgary, for example, will earn an average hourly wage of $29.18, whereas a tradesperson working in the Wood Buffalo or Cold Lake region will earn $44.07 an hour.

■■ Journeyperson wages vary, including $24 to $38 an hour for crane operators, $25 to $40 an hour for electricians, welders and automotive service technicians, and $35 to $50 an hour for floorcovering installers.

■■ For a complete list of trades, including duties, working conditions, employment, advancement and wages, visit www.tradesecrets.alberta.ca.

TO TRADES NAIT ENERGIZES INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS. We promise relevant knowledge, real skills and rewarding careers to our students in trades and apprenticeship training. We deliver on that promise every day.

As a leading polytechnic, NAIT offers hands-on, technology-based learning. We are one of Canada’s largest apprenticeship trainers. Our industry-recognized trades programs lead to journeyperson certification, certificate or diploma credentials. Our innovative Trades to Degrees initiative is one of the first of its kind in North America.

NAIT’s corporate and international training programs help companies develop unique and customized training solutions. Flexible day, evening, weekend and online offerings help you to keep learning, your way. @NAIT

Connect with us

EDUCATION FOR THE REAL WORLD nait.ca

TRADESALBERTA

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NOT SURE HOW TO

start >> the steps to a career in the trades

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choose a trade

Check the list of apprenticeship trades in Alberta at tradesecrets. alberta.ca or at the Alberta Learning Information Service website, alis.alberta.ca/occinfo, to find one that interests you.

Visit an Alberta Works centre. Find information on the labour market and training programs, on resume writing, on accessing a career consultant.

Or contact the Alberta Career Information Services hotline, 1-800-661-3753.

■■Read advertisements for trades. Both Syncrude and the Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders post trades needed at actims.ca and at syncrude.ca.

■■Read websites and articles pertinent to the trade you’re researching.

■■Get more information on jobs and employers at humanservices.alberta.ca/ working-in-alberta.

find an employer ■■Attend career fairs. Alberta Works runs Employer Connections, mini-job fairs that provide a chance for employers to meet job seekers and hire them on the spot. Careers NextGen holds periodic CAREERexpo events.

Go to www.nextgen.org.

■■Talk to people working in the field by calling or emailing potential employers and asking if you can book a 15-minute info-gathering appointment.

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become an apprentice

Edmonton Journal / file

With a projected shortage of skilled tradespeople in the near future, training in the trades can set you on the path to a solid career.

■■Once employed, register with Alberta’s Apprenticeship and Industry Training.

Sign a contract in which you commit to completing technical and on-the-job training and your employer agrees to train you while allowing you to attend technical training classes.

■■Complete your job hours and training requirements and become an Alberta-certified journeyman.

■■To work in another province, you may be able to write an Interprovincial Standards Program exam.

■■If you’re in high school, investigate the Registered Apprenticeship Program, which allows full-time students to divide their time between school and work. Students earn credits toward their first-year apprenticeship, plus a salary.

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the facts >> TRADESALBERTA

online Find it

Check the following websites for more information about many of the schools and programs profiled in this guide: ■■Aboriginal Youth Initiative – hrsdc.gc.ca

■■Alberta Pipe Trades College - local488.ca

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 955

■■Building Trades of Alberta – buildingtradesalberta.ca

We Work for YOU!

■■Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders – actims.ca ■■Alberta Learning Information Service – alis.alberta.ca

■■Career and Technology Studies (CTS) – education.alberta/ca ■■Careers NextGen – nextgen.org ■■Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre – anfca.com/friendship-centres ■■Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers – emcn.ab.ca ■■Immigrant Access Fund – iafcanada.org ■■Keyano College – keyano.ca ■■Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) – nait.ca ■■Northern Lakes College – northernlakescollege.ca ■■NorQuest College - norquest.ca ■■Skills Canada – skillscanada.com ■■Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) – sait.ca ■■Syncrude - syncrude.ca ■■Trade Secrets – tradesecrets.alberta.ca ■■Vista Virtual School of Alberta Distance Learning Centre – vvschool.ca ■■Women Building Futures Society – womenbuildingfutures.com ■■Working in Alberta – humanservices.alberta.ca/working-in-alberta

If you are interested in operating a bulldozer, crane, zoom boom or other heavy equipment, enjoy being active and desire a long lucrative career as an Operating Engineer, then Local 955 is for you. You have got nothing to lose…and everything to gain, so why not check it out…TODAY! With over 13,000 active members, Local 955 is Alberta’s largest trade union that supports mobile equipment operators. Our members are involved with building Alberta’s infrastructure through mining, industrial, transportation and construction projects, as well as municipalities, school districts, and other organizations that incorporate heavy equipment as part of their operations.

Supported by more than $100 billion worth of oil sands and other projects underway or planned, Local 955 supplies more skilled Heavy Equipment trades people with work than any other Union local in Alberta.

Members benefit from a variety of direct services that support training, dispatching to work, and our group benefits & pension programs. Local 955 manages approximately 100 labour agreements that benefit both members and employers.

I.U.O.E. has been proud to represent Operating Engineers for almost 100 years and with its signatory contractors has set the standards for wages and benefits for the industry.

• Excellent Wages • Paid Health Insurance • A Career with a Future

• Safer Working Conditions • Pension Benefits • Advancement • Training Opportunities Opportunities

If you would like more information on how YOU can become a proud member of this “Winning Team”, visit www.IUOE955.com . spring 2013

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HowApprenticing Works by jane cardillo

While you’re still a student … learn and earn

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bruce edwards / edmonton journal

Michael Hughes, 16, works at CPI Construction in Edmonton as an apprentice carpenter.

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ichael Hughes is 16 years old and well on his way to a successful career.

The Grade 11 student at Jasper Place High School in Edmonton is enrolled in the Registered Apprenticeship Program, a provincial government initiative that allows young people to learn a trade while working toward their high school diploma.

In the fall of 2012, Hughes, an apprentice carpenter, earned school credits by replacing balconies on apartment buildings under the supervision of a team of journeymen — or certified — carpenters. He earned $19 an hour.

In January, Hughes returned to the classroom to complete his Grade 11 core subjects. After that, he’ll be back on the job. He repeats that routine until the end of Grade 12, then it’s off to college to complete his training.

Hughes hopes to be a journeyman carpenter by the time he’s 19 or 20. “I love it,” he says. “I get to better my future and I still get my credentials toward my highschool diploma — and I’m earning money.”

With Alberta’s economy sizzling, thanks in great part to the booming oil and gas industry, the trades are a good career choice.

“There aren’t enough trades people in Alberta to fill the jobs,” says Herb Holmes, northern manager at Construction Labour Relations — Alberta, a company that works with unionized construction trades. “The opportunities are immense in Alberta and we’re always struggling to keep up with the demand. To be an Alberta person with a trade, you’re sitting in a pretty good position.”

Union wages for a journeyman steamfitter/pipefitter or an instrument mechanic are more than $55 an hour, Holmes says.

If Hughes chose to work as a carpenter on a big industrial project, he could gross more than $50 an hour.

Nor would he necessarily have to leave Edmonton to do so, Holmes says.

“We build a lot of things in Edmonton in fabrication shops and modular assembly yards that go up north.

We have a huge number of jobs right here.”

There are about 50 designated trades in Alberta, from welders and automotive service technicians (formerly known as mechanics) to hairstylists, bakers, machinists and plumbers.

Dave Brown, RAP co-ordinator at Jasper Place High School, has about 25 students in the program, training in trades from heavy equipment technician to welder and bricklayer.

In the past, young people gravitated to trades like auto-service technician, but that’s changing, Brown says. “A lot of students are getting into heavy-equipment technicians. It seems to be the hot one right now.”

Wages are hot, in those trades, too.

“I had a young student who was out on the RAP program working as a heavy-equipment technician and in the eight months that he was out there, he made $86,000,” Brown says. “I didn’t believe him when he told me, so he brought me his T-4 slip.”

Technical colleges don’t accept people into trades programs unless they are apprenticing. Part of Brown’s job is helping students find an employer who will take

Fast Facts ■■ In 2012, more than 60,000 registered apprentices trained at about 14,000 employer sites around Alberta ■■ 80 per cent of an apprentice’s time is spent on the job, learning from a certified journeyperson ■■ 20 per cent of an apprentice’s time is spent receiving technical training at a post-secondary institution

Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) ■■ RAP allows high school students to accumulate hours toward their firstyear apprenticeship and toward high school credits.

■■ In 2012, more than 1,300 high school students were registered in RAP and employed at more than 1,000 sites ■■ Employers at companies of any size

can take on a RAP student, as long as they are eligible to employ apprentices.

■■ Employers must pay RAP students at least minimum wage.

■■ Employers provide mentorship and coaching. They match an apprentice with a journeyperson willing to help them out.

Supplied

them on as an apprentice.

In past years, that hasn’t always been easy, but with demand for tradespeople escalating, there’s been a noticeable change, he says.

“When I started doing this about five years ago, some of the larger union companies wouldn’t even think about hiring some of these students. Since September, I’ve had calls out of the blue from about five companies. So it’s really turned around. I have more employers than I have students.”

College enrolments reflect the growing numbers choosing to study a trade, says Carla Corbett, executive director of operations and client connections with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.

“Our apprentice numbers are going up,” says Corbett, whose office works with colleges to ensure there are enough seats for apprentices entering the system.

Provincial statistics show that more than 17,000 new apprentices were registered in 2011, up about 15 per cent from the year before.

“There’s an absolute need (for tradespeople) and if you were a young person, it would be a great place to start and grow a career,” Corbett says.

And it’s a career that offers limitless opportunities, says Herb Holmes at Construction Labour Relations — Alberta. “The trades is often a gateway for a much bigger career,” Holmes says. “A lot of the people who actually own and run our construction companies, and the management of those companies, came out of the trades.”

He cites one Alberta success story: John Leder, head of Edmonton-based The Supreme Group. “He started out as an ironworker and is now running the largest steel fabrication company in Canada,” Holmes says.

There’s no doubt in Hughes’s mind that he has chosen a great career path. “You can get a good job pretty much anywhere and there’s lots of money to be made,” he says.

As an adult... alongside a journeyperson

Apprentice insulator Mike Sheppard (left) and Jerzy Wolodkiewicz of Jacobs Industrial Services at the Syncrude upgrader site north of Fort McMurray.

A

t Syncrude’s oilsands facility near Fort to journeypeople like him to watch out for the McMurray, insulator journeyman Jerzy apprentices on-site.

Wolodkiewicz and insulator apprentice “We always care about the new guys like our own Mike Sheppard have more than 17 years kids,” he says. of combined experience in the trade.

In addition to watching out for the apprentice Most rests with Wolodkiewicz, who is eager to working under him, Wolodkiewicz is also eager to share what he knows about the trade with Shep- pass on his knowledge. “I’m almost 60 years old, so pard, a third-year apprentice.

I have to give my experience to the new guys, the “The journeymen is the teacher for the new guy apprentices, and try to explain everything to them in the trade, so we spend time to explain to those and pass on what I know,” Wolodkiewicz says. guys what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Erwin Woodward, superintendent for trades at Wolodkiewicz says.

Jacobs, said such mentorship between WolodSheppard, 36, and Wolodkiewicz, 59, have been kiewicz and Sheppard is not just limited to apprenworking together since Sheppard started working tice journeyperson pairings. for Jacobs Industrial Services, which is contracted “It’s also for new journeymen who’ve never been

by Syncrude, when he began his apprenticeship on the site before,” Woodward says. “We pair them three years ago. up with people who have experience on the site, the “A good journeyman can teach you everything guys who have been here for years and are familiar about the trade,” says Sheppard. with all the areas and what goes on in each area.”

Insulators apply, remove and repair thermal There’s always at least a 1:1 ratio for journeypeoand acoustical insulation on all types of industrial ple to apprentices, and sometimes 2:1 depending on equipment, including duct piping, heat exchanges, the job, Woodward says. tanks and vessels. They read and interpret drawIf an apprentice journeyperson pair doesn’t work ings and specifications to determine insulation out, as occasionally happens, “we try and pair them requirements, then measure, cut and fit insulation. up with another person to see how it is,” Woodward To become a certified journeyperson in the trade, says. apprentices like Sheppard must complete four years of apprenticeship training, which includes technical training and onthe-job hours.

■■ Find an employer willing to take you on as an apprentice In his third year, Sheppard is required ■■ Register with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training to spend a minimum of 1,300 hours on the ■■ 80 per cent of the time: apprentice works for an job and eight weeks in the classroom. employer, alongside a certified journeyman Even though Sheppard entered the ■ ■ 20 per cent of the time: apprentice attends a college or job site with some classroom experitechnical school for training ence, Wolodkiewicz said it’s still up

To Work in a Trade

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Apprenticeship program

opens doors

by Cailynn Klingbell | photo by jason franson

Power-line tech job fits “outdoors guy” perfectly

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or as long as he can remember, Peyton Dutton has disliked classrooms.

“I can’t stand sitting around,” he says. “I’m a hands-on learner and I need to have stuff shown to me to know how it works and understand it. I just can’t go from a book.”

“He was always more interested in trades than a university education,” says his mother, Roxanne.

“We do lots of hunting, fishing, camping — he was always an outdoors guy,” says father Russ Dutton, a telecommunications engineer.

Now, the 18-year-old is outside five days a week, in the blistering cold, climbing 18-metre poles and loving it.

The Sturgeon County power-line technician works for RS Line, supplying electricity to the company’s 500,000 customers in 200 Alberta communities.

Peyton’s career got an early jolt through RAP, the Registered Apprenticeship Program. He hopes to have his journeyman certificate by 21.

RAP is currently in 242 Alberta high schools, allowing students to earn credits while training for a future in the trades.

At first, Peyton wasn’t sure which of the more than 50 trades was right for him. But after some fatherly advice, he settled on working with power lines.

“My dad told me, ‘Everybody’s going to need power, so you’re always going to need people who will build it and maintain it.’ ” After enrolling in the RAP at Sturgeon Composite High School, Peyton streamlined his last year of high school courses to include only the subjects required for a career installing and maintaining power lines. He then dedicated the last six months to working full time in the field for Fortis Alberta.

“It was the best thing I ever did,” says Dutton, who graduated in June, 2012 and celebrated by buying himself a lifted diesel Chevy truck with money he’d earned.

Although there are hazards to his work — which involves

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wires 200 times more powerful than those in the typical house — Dutton isn’t afraid.

That’s typical of someone who grew up riding ATVs and snowmobiles. Less typical is the confidence his parents have in his ability to protect himself.

“He’s a common sense kid,” says his mother, who, as a clinical data analyst with the Workers’ Compensation Board, knows all about workplace injuries.

Leading up to his first days on-site, Peyton took several relevant safety courses online. His mother also coached him on safety.

“I always told him, ‘If you don’t understand something, or there’s a concern about its safety, ask questions.’ ” Peyton heard her loud and clear. “Questions, questions, questions — it’s the best thing you can do,” he says “I’ve met guys who’ve been in the trade for 35 years and they still ask questions every day. It’s an ongoing process.”

At a glance >> Peyton Dutton, 18 >> Power-line technician >> Knowing he wasn’t interested in pursuing university, hands-on learner Dutton focused his last year of high school — through the guidance of the Registered Apprenticeship Program — on subjects leading to a career installing and maintaining power lines. He hopes to have his journeyman certificate by age 21.

My dad told me, ‘Everybody’s going to need power, so you’re always going to need people who will build it and maintain it.’ peyton dutton, apprentice power-line technician

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preparation >> TRADESALBERTA

Leave dead-end jobs behind Cold Lake’s employment-readiness program teaches life skills, goal-setting By Pamela Irving

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hen Sophie Pellerin graduated from high school in Cold Lake in 2009, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life.

She found it hard to get a good job so she enrolled in the Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre’s 16week employment-readiness program in March 2010.

“I needed more training. I could only get dead-end jobs,” says Pellerin, now 21 and apprenticing as a welder. “The training gave me a lot of perspective about life and taught me new skills.”

The program provides basic employment training for people between the ages of 15 to 30 and helps them find work. There are 12 students per session and courses are offered every three or four months.

“About 50 per cent of participants go into trades. In the current session, about half of the participants are in their mid-20s, do not have a high school diploma and are trying to get work experience and get on with life,” says Gerry Zelinski, founder and co-ordinator of the program that began in 2008 and has had more than 100 participants.

“Because I’m an educator, I value the individual. We investigate an action plan for each individual on what to pursue,” Zelinski says.

Once they start to work, students receive another 12 weeks of training. The life-management skills include safety tickets, career investigation, budgeting and other life skills.

An allowance is provided by Service Canada through the Skills Link program. Training costs and support services are provided by Alberta Human Services. Vista Virtual School of Alberta Distance Learning Centre provides high school credit for some of the courses and work experience.

Students who take advantage of the program often have no work experience to build on, says Louwrens Olivier, regional communications manager for Alberta Works. “This program helps set them up for success in their further career,” he says.

According to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Alberta labour market quarterly report for January 2013, almost all of the skill shortages associated with the oilsands have been in the skilled construction trades.

Almost all of the skill shortages associated with the oilsands have been in the skilled construction trades.

After Pellerin completed the program at Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre, she got a job as a labourer with Quinn Contracting, but began apprenticing as a welder in October 2010. “I watched other workers and got really interested in welding, so I asked my employer to put me with a welder so I could learn more about it,” she says.

Now on maternity leave, Pellerin will resume her apprenticeship at Portage College’s Lac La Biche campus in April 2013. Portage College also has a campus in Cold Lake.

Pellerin says the employment readiness program helped her build composure.

“I gained a lot of confidence and started looking at things differently. Gerry gets the students to participate so they feel more like part of the class,” Pellerin says.

Zelinski said the program is needed in the region. “There is tons of immigration into our area,” he says of Cold Lake.

“Some come to become apprentices, but not everyone who comes here is work-ready.

“This course is a reality check. We monitor success by seeing the graduates three to six or several months later, coming back for more information, maybe more education and training.”

From Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Alberta labour market quarterly report for January 2013

Supplied

Gerry Zelinski, founder and co-ordinator of the Cold Lake Native Friendship Centre’s 16-week employment readiness program, teaches a class.

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Matching First Nations youth to great trades Info sessions, summer internships, scholarships smooth the way By Cathie Bartlett Supplied

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or students living in communities off the beaten track, information about career possibilities can be difficult to come by.

That’s especially true in some First Nations communities that are isolated from larger centres and where role models can be scarce.

Since 2001, the Aboriginal Youth Initiative with Careers: The Next Generation has worked to overcome these obstacles, exposing aboriginal youth to the opportunities available in Alberta’s trades. The initiative also tries to bridge the gap between employers and the ever-growing aboriginal labour pool by encouraging businesses to hire aboriginal summer interns.

“Today, Careers employs a team of six aboriginal field directors and aboriginal youth ambassadors who work in 89 different schools with up to 4,000 students,” says Jerry Heck, Careers vice-president of stakeholder relations and growth.

The program is customized for each community.

The team checks out which career opportunities are accessible in the area before speaking to the students.

“If there’s a plumber in the community, we tell the students who might be interested in plumbing that they can give it a try,” says Alan Fisher, Careers vice-president of operations.

In Wabasca, strong industry support led the team to identify the Registered Apprentice Program as a good fit, with power engineering as an appropriate trade to promote due to nearby oilpatch activity.

Information sessions begin at the junior-high level, so “we can start grooming interested students,” Fisher says.

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The Aboriginal Youth Initiative with Careers: The Next Generation helps connect young First Nations people with trades career paths.

Teachers are mostly receptive to the program.

Their only concern is that students will become interested in a trade and then be unable to pursue it. The Aboriginal Youth Initiative addresses this concern by offering field trips to colleges and career fairs.

“At career fairs we work with other stakeholders to build the comfort level of the idea of students leaving their home communities for a while to take courses and training toward a trade,” Fisher says.

“One of the big things that holds students back is that they aren’t comfortable with going beyond their own communities.”

Seeing what is offered at a college in another centre often helps.

“A little bit of exposure can build that comfort level,” says Fisher.

For example, students in Grade 12 at Peerless Lake and Trout Lake can visit Slave Lake to check out the trades programs at Northern Lakes College.

“These small communities offer the biggest opportunity for impact,” in promoting the Aboriginal Youth Initiative, Fisher says.

A student who goes away to train as a welder and returns home to work in the field becomes a role model.

A recently implemented partnership between Northern Lakes College and school divisions in the

region has caught the initiative’s interest.

Last year, the college began offering high school students dual-credit programming, which gives them the chance to earn high-school credits and train in a trade at the same time.

The college offers emergency medical responder, forestry and harvesting technician, health-care aide, power engineering 4th class and welding as part of its dual-credit program.

The college also offers a $500 bursary to dual-credit students who, upon graduating from high school, enrol with the college to continue their post-secondary education.

“We are looking at ways to make the program doable for aboriginal students,” Fisher says.

He urges students in these remote communities to look into what the Aboriginal Youth Initiative has to offer.

“Talk to your school counsellors. Listen to our presentation at your school. Use the resources that are made available. If you are interested, a phone call or email can get you started.”

Financial resources include RAP scholarships of $1,000 to help Grade 12 graduates continue their trade education.

For more information on financial and other matters related to further education, go to alis.alberta.ca.

A proud partner of Edmonton

n

Fort McMurray

(L-R) Cody - (RAP Student), Bill - (2 nd Yr. Apprentice), Austin - (4 th Yr. Apprentice), Dan - (4 th Yr. Apprentice), Tri - (2 nd YR. Apprentice), Tyler - (RAP Student), Chris - (Former RAP Student, now Maintenance Manager), Katlin - (RAP Student)

Automotive & Heavy Duty Mechanic Careers dtl.ca Introducing some of our over 50 Apprentices and RAP Students who are part of the Diversified Maintenance Career Program. It continues to be our privilege to be a proud partner of Careers: the Next Generation by introducing students to rewarding career opportunities.

We transport the oil Sands’ most valuable resource each and everyday

its people!

YOU SUPPLY THE DREAM. WE’LL PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY. A world of opportunities opens up when you have a post-secondary education in the trades. It gives you the experience you need to get the job you want, and with a company that encourages its employees to dream, develop and revolutionize the business.

Find that job at Syncrude, one of Alberta’s top employers and leaders in the oil sands development industry. Our operation is growing and so is your opportunity to join a new frontier, where the possibilities are limited only by the extent of your ambition.

For more information, visit syncrude.ca/careers

The Syncrude Project is a joint venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Partnership #1, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership, and Suncor Energy Venures Partnership.

TRADESALBERTA

>> oilsands

Making history as a female shovel operator Women breaking barriers in oilsands trades

By Cailynn Klingbeil

Supplied

Mandy Sumner, a seven-year employee with North American Construction Group, on a Suncor site in Fort McMurray.

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spring 2013

oilsands >> TRADESALBERTA

S

ince she was a child, Mandy Sumner knew she wanted to work in the trades.

“I wanted to come and work with my dad ever since I was 12.”

Seven years ago, Sumner left her home in Lamont, Alta., and headed to Fort McMurray to work for North American Construction Group, the largest contractor working in the oilsands. Her father is a senior superintendent there.

In September 2012, Sumner, 26, became North American Construction’s first female shovel operator, working at a Suncor site north of Fort McMurray. “It’s a great milestone in demonstrating the significant impact that women are having in the oilsands workforce, where one can achieve any goal that they set their mind to,” says Darren Krill, a spokesperson for North American.

At 518 tonnes, the shovels are the largest piece of machinery at work in the oilsands. They are also considered one of the most difficult pieces of equipment to operate.

“She’s doing very good and she’s putting out as much volume as anybody else,” says Glen Codner, Sumner’s supervisor and a senior superintendent at North American.

Sumner credits her ability to drive the EX 5500 shovel to a supportive employer and her desire to constantly be learning something new. “My bosses saw my ambition and would give me a chance on different equipment. If I was good at it they’d keep me on it,” she says.

She started working for North American as a flag person and at the end of her first summer she learned to operate trucks. “It just escalated from there,” Sumner says.

She worked her way up the line, learning to operate dozers, scrapers, graders, backhoes and loaders. She received training and certification on each machine through her employer.

“I started on one of the big haul trucks, a 777 that can haul 100 tonnes,” Sumner says. “I was good on that so they put me on bigger and bigger trucks. I was always asking, ‘OK, what’s next?’”

Codner says Sumner’s ambition, combined with her operating skills, have helped her advance quickly.

At a glance >> Mandy Sumner, 26 >> Shovel operator >> Starting with North American as a flag person, Sumner rose quickly through the ranks to become the company’s first female shovel operator.

“She’s a very good employee,” he says. “She went from being a backhoe operator — a very proficient backhoe operator — so we decided to train her on shovel.”

Sumner admits that at first she was intimidated by the sheer size of the shovel, a giant, 11-metre-tall machine with a bucket capacity of 29 cubic metres that can fill a dump truck with just five loads.

“It was pretty intense at the beginning because it’s just so big,” she says. “But the more time I spent on it, the more and more comfortable I got.”

Operating the shovel is fast-paced, Sumner says, and she enjoys being in charge of such an important piece of machinery at the site. But she’s still too new to it to call it her favourite piece of equipment.

“I like the shovel, but it’s really new to me. All in all, the dozer has been my favourite,” she says. “You can be doing so many different things on it. You always get to see the results of what you’re doing ... the finished piece of work.”

She has simple advice for others who want to follow in her path: work hard.

“I just started off as a labourer. If you’re a hard worker and you prove that, they’ll give you a chance and show you different stuff. You just have to have the ambition to do it,” she says.

If you’re a hard worker and you prove that, they’ll give you a chance and show you different stuff. You just have to have the ambition to do it.

Mandy Sumner, shovel operator

spring 2013

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TRADESALBERTA

>> oilsands

All trades needed in oilsands

W

ith Alberta’s energy sector set to grow, industry experts say there is no shortage of skilled trades jobs to be filled.

In 2011, the oilsands sector directly employed about 21,000 workers, and the Petroleum

Knight says a challenge in meeting demand is keeping pace with growing oilsands production. Employee turnover rates are also a factor, as people move from company to company within the oilsands, or leave to work in competing sectors.

Human Resources Council of Canada predicts the number will in-

crease to more than 35,000 by 2021. Most oilsands jobs are located

on-site at operations in the Wood Buffalo region.

The workforce includes jobs in mining and in-situ operations, and upgrading. The indirect workforce, which includes positions as construction contractors and in production services, is estimated to be at least double that of direct employment, says Cheryl Knight, executive director and CEO of the Petroleum Human Resources Council.

“The No. 1 occupation in demand in the oilsands is steam-ticketed operators, also known as power engineers,” Knight says.

Other key trades based on projected employment growth include heavy equipment operators, industrial electricians, instrumentation technicians, millwrights, welders, machinists and crane operators.

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By Cailynn Klingbeil

spring 2013

“We have hiring due to growth, then layer on that hiring due to turnover and then a really large chunk is replacing retirees,” Knight says.

“That’s a lot of hiring in a 10year period.”

As group lead of recruitment for Cenovus Energy, Rick Davidson knows the challenges employers face.

“All trades are in demand, but electricians, welders and pipefitters are some of the key trades that are very difficult for

Cenovus and the companies that work with us to fill,” Davidson says.

Cenovus partners with post-secondary institutions and other organizations, like Skills Canada, “with the hope that over the next several years as the oilsands industry continues to grow and labour continues to tighten we’re able to add to that supply by bringing new people into these disciplines,” Davidson says.

Retaining workers is also imachieved through employee development initiatives and ensuring remote oilsands portant and is

sites are of “excellent quality” for workers, says Davidson. “We want to ensure that we’re able to retain these workers that we recruit for,” he said.

Edmonton Journal / file

Welders, millwrights and machinists are among the most-needed trades.

Big jobs. Big pride. Big team spirit.

We’re hiring skilled tradespeople, operators and technicians.

Connect with your future!

Go ahead. Apply now! www.suncor.com/trades ™ Trademark of Suncor Energy Inc.

TRADESALBERTA

>> oilsands

Power engineering draws on love of tech

Supplied

From left: Power engineering students Tyler Peach, instructor Randall Mantai and Nick Morel in Keyano College’s power engineering lab.

N

ick Morel moved to Fort McMurray four years ago, searching for a job to help pay off the student loans he accumulated while taking an undergraduate arts degree in Halifax.

“The intent was to pay off my student loans and return to law school and that’s slowly changed based on the opportunities presented here,” says the 28-year-old.

After two years in the service industry and two years working for an industrial maintenance company, Morel enrolled in power engineering at Keyano College.

“The program involves applied sciences and technology and that’s where my interest lies,” Morel says.

He also likes the strong job prospects that exist upon certification. Based on projected net hiring requirements by the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, power engineering is the most in-demand occupation in the oilsands.

Power engineers supervise, operate and maintain machinery and boilers. They work in any setting

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spring 2013

the most in-demand oilsands trade

At a glance >> Nick Morel, 28 >> First-year power engineering student, Keyano College >> Looking to pay off student loans after completing an arts degree, Morel headed to Fort McMurray. When he learned that power engineers are the most sought-after tradespeople in the oilsands, he decided against a planned law degree and enrolled at Keyano.

By Cailynn Klingbeil

where boilers are used, including power generation plants, industrial facilities and residential and commercial buildings.

As steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) increases in the oil and gas sector, the job market for power engineers is heating up.

Morel is one of 60 first-year power-engineering students at Keyano, selected from about 400 applicants, says Randall Mantai, a power engineering and process operations instructor at the college.

An additional 30 seats exist in Keyano’s process operating program, which was developed after industry identified the need to have process operators with power-engineering certification.

“There’s very big demand for this program from students across the country,” Mantai says.

Students range from 18-year-olds who have just graduated from high school to people in their 50s looking for a career change.

Kevin Nagel, president of Keyano College, says the school is building a new engineering lab to keep up with demand for power engineers.

“It’s under construction as we speak and is going

to give us a lot of the steam time we’re looking for to facilitate training,” he says.

In Keyano’s two-year power-engineering program, students earn their fourth- and third-class certification as power engineers through classroom instruction and paid work experience.

“Their two paid work terms allow them to earn while they learn and establish reputations as good workers who can get full-time employment upon the completion of their Keyano program,” Mantai says.

Tyler Peach, 18, first took a power-engineering course at Fort McMurray’s Westwood High School and is in his first year of power engineering at Keyano.

“I ended up liking everything about it,” he says.

Peach has already gained on-the-job experience, having spent the summer after Grade 11 working at Nexen’s Long Lake site, where his dad, a power engineer, works in a supervisory role.

“When you go out there it looks like a giant pile of metal plates, but once you break it down and do one thing at a time and take your time, it’s not as difficult as it seems,” Peach says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Are you interested in an Apprenticeship as a Boilermaker or Welder?

Then come check out

Apprenticeship Recruitment Information Seminar

Available in Edmonton & Calgary for upcoming dates go to www.boilermakers.ca

B PRESSURE WELDERS IN HIGH DEMAND Visit www.boilermaker.ca for a current list of employment opportunities LOCAL 146 ALBERTA

International Brotherhood of

Boilermakers Local 146

View Callout

TRADESALBERTA

>> women

Womenwelcome In thetrades W Careers are lucrative, challenging

By Pamela Irving | photo by ed kaiser

ABOVE: Staff and students pose in front of the Women Building Futures building in downtown Edmonton. After rigorous training, WBF graduates boast a 90 per cent employment placement rate.

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spring 2013

omen make up four to six per cent of the trades workforce in Alberta, a significant rise in percentage from when the Women Building Futures Society began in 1998.

The organization has since graduated more than 600 women into careers as millwrights, pipefitters, electricians, crane operators, carpenters and welders.

The numbers are going to increase exponentially in the next 10 years, says the JudyLynn Archer, the organization’s CEO “The shifting demographics and general retirement of tradespeople combined with the comeback of the economy means there are a lot of construction and maintenance projects that require a large labour pool for years to come.”

women >> TRADESALBERTA Most apprentices finish their apprenticeship without any student debt — a huge bonus for most people.

JudyLynn Archer, CEO, Women Building Futures

Based on available statistics, Archer estimates more than 40,000 new skilled workers will be needed in Alberta over the next 10 years, and WBF is working hard to meet that demand.

WBF conducts media campaigns, information sessions and more than 30 annual presentations around Alberta, including several in aboriginal communities such as Siksika, Tsuu T’ina, Onion Lake, Alexis, Alexander, Wabasca and Calling Lake. Thirty per cent of WBF students are aboriginal.

Women enrolled in WBF programs complete their training with a 90 per cent employment placement rate — thanks to the rigour of the process, says Archer.

First, a comprehensive career assessment of each

interested individual is made to ensure she is making an appropriate career choice. Qualified applicants can get financial help, such as Alberta government grants and industry-sponsored awards.

An on-site student housing facility has 42 fully furnished units — 18 for women with children.

Unique to WBF training is a component that prepares women for employment in predominantly male work environments. “Any time you have such a minority, there are challenges that only those minority workers experience,” says Heather Markham, WBF marketing and communications manager.

“It might be something like understanding different communication styles used between men and women, to the frequently occurring safety challenge

women encounter with improperly fitted personal protective equipment.”

WBF graduates are placed in a two-week practicum with potential employers, and are often hired before that period is up.

WBF works with 160 employers across Alberta to secure apprenticeship opportunities and jobs for graduates. To increase apprenticeship completion and job satisfaction for the graduate and employer, WBF provides individual and coaching support as long as necessary.

“Apprenticeship is an “earn while you learn” system, so most apprentices finish their apprenticeship without any student debt — a huge bonus for most people,” Archer says.

Trade apprenticeships tend to be filled by women 24 to 34 years old, but jobs such as heavy equipment operating often attract mid-career changers in their mid-30s.

“The financial and job satisfaction rewards are tremendous. Women love their trade and are proud of their achievements,” says Archer. “The opportunities are enormous.”

TRADESALBERTA

>> women

Lifted out of a rut Crane operating gives young mom new lease on life By cailynn klingbeil | photo by ian stewart

C

rane operating may seem like a natural fit for Kolby Nepoose, whose father and stepfather are already in the trade, but she did not take a direct path there.

Nepoose was in a rut, working at a financial services company.

“It seemed like it was going nowhere, and I just was not making enough money to support my daughter and myself,” says the 26-year-old.

Her father, who had trained an employee involved with the Women Building Futures program, suggested Nepoose check it out.

Women Building Futures is a notfor-profit organization providing pre-apprenticeship training to introduce women to the trades. More than 600 women have graduated into jobs as millwrights, pipefitters, electricians, carpenters and welders since the program began in 1998.

Nepoose enrolled in WBF and is in the first of a three-year crane operator apprenticeship program. She attends the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and works at Mammoet Canada, which builds and operates heavy lift and transport equipment.

Rene Jones, 23, another WBF graduate and crane operator apprentice, said she took up the trades because she saw the success of relatives who had done the same.

Now Jones and Nepoose are gaining experience at Mammoet and working toward a journeyperson’s ticket.

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>>

“I like the diversity. Every day you’re doing something different,” Nepoose says.

Both say working in a male-dominated field has its ups and downs, but that it helps to have each other’s support and that of co-workers.

“Our crew is pretty good and our boss is wicked. He’s very supportive.

If I have to take time to go and do any-

spring 2013

thing with my daughter, he’s OK with that,” Nepoose says.

While WBF aims to attract women to the trades and prepare them to work in predominantly male work environments, another part of the organization’s mandate is to help industry recruit and retain tradeswomen.

WBF president and CEO JudyLynn Archer said the organization helped

Fast Facts ■■ Crane operator apprentices in Alberta, end of 2011: 2,398 ■■ Number of them who are women: 37 ■■ Total trades apprentices in Alberta, same period: 51,000 ■■ Number of them who are women: 5,092 develop a best-practices guide for hiring and retaining tradeswomen after the Construction Owners Association of Alberta approached them a few years ago.

The guide is now used in WBF workshops for people who hire, supervise or work with tradeswomen. The guide addresses a variety of topics, from differing communication styles to personal protection equipment, which is often too large for women.

“This is not rocket science, but I think it’s fair to say there is a difference in our genders. When you have one gender that is predominant, there are challenges the other group is probably going to experience,” Archer says.

At a glance >> Kolby Nepoose, 26 >> Crane-operator apprentice

Apprentice crane operator Kolby Nepoose in the Mammoet Canada Western yard.

>> After leaving the financial services industry, Nepoose received training from Women Building Futures and entered the three-year craneoperator apprenticeship. She now looks forward to a solid career, earning enough to support herself and her young daughter.

A Union that Works for Apprentices • Apprenticeship tuition reimbursement

• Industry-leading apprenticeship wages and benefits

• Scholarships

• Multi-craft opportunities and dual ticketing possibilities

• Choice of successful employers committed to training apprentices

A UNION THAT WORKS

• CLAC is a national sponsor for Skills Canada

www.clac.ca

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Telephone: 780–792–5292 Toll Free: 877–792–5292 fortmcmurray@clac.ca

TRADESALBERTA

>> be

your own boss

Starting a

small business Apprenticing can lead to freedom, independence By cailynn klingbeil | photo by jason franson

W

hen Linda Ha, 32, graduated from an Edmonton high school with a head start on hairstylist training, she was unsure how long she would stay in the

industry.

But more than 10 years later, Ha is still at it, with a diverse resume that includes salon stylist, cruiseship barber, teacher — and now, small-business owner.

“Initially I thought this would be a great skill to have coming out of high school, but I wanted to maybe do something else after,” Ha says. “But I kept getting busier and doors kept opening in different areas. It’s been really diverse. There’s so many different avenues you can take.”

Ha entered the Registered Apprenticeship Program, in which high school students learn a trade while earning high school credits. Hairstylist is one of more than 50 trades students can choose from, including cook, electrician, machinist and roofer.

Ha graduated from J. Percy Page in 1999 and apprenticed at a few salons, then worked as a licensed hairstylist. “At first I was able to do a lot of hairstyling competitions, fashion shows and editorial work.

From there I got to travel … and eventually I got to teach,” she says.

She spent a year on a cruise ship in Mexico, a job that included three months of barber training in London, England, where she learned to cut men’s hair.

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spring 2013

“That was in 2006 and I’ve been thinking about it since. I got back from the cruise ship, had a baby, went on maternity leave and taught for a bit, but in the back of my mind I knew I wanted to do something very men’s-specific again.”

In June 2011, she opened Barber Ha, a small threechair shop catering to men’s grooming in a neighbourhood strip mall in King Edward Park.

Ha says she chose the 500-square-foot space partly for its cheap rent, worried that the concept of a men’s-only grooming spot might not catch on in Edmonton.

But the shop, which Ha describes as a modern take on the barbershop experience, has been so busy that in October 2012, Barber Ha moved to an 1,800-square-foot Whyte Avenue location to accommodate a growing clientele and a staff of eight.

An ongoing challenge is finding qualified barbers, as hairstylist programs tend to focus on women’s hair and most apprentices work in salons that cater to female customers.

Barbering isn’t a trade, so barbers often take additional courses and training after becoming licensed hairstylists.

At a glance >> Linda Ha, 32 >> Owner, Barber Ha >> Ha’s barbershop employs a staff of eight and fills a growing need for qualified men’s hairstylists.

“I’m realizing there’s a huge need for barbers,” Ha says.

Hairdressing seminars, business courses and outside advice, including that of a business coach she hired when the shop opened, helped Ha make the move to business owner.

“I enjoy work every day because I’ve created my own environment that is very comfortable to me,” she says.

“I’ve been able to incorporate all the skills I’ve learned along the way in various jobs into my own business.”

be your own boss >> TRADESALBERTA

Labour shortage

encourages older workers to enter trades At a glance >> Frank Light, 59 >> Machinist >> Looking to complement his skills as a millwright, Light went back to school at 50 and eventually launched his own company, Channico Machine and Millwright Services, in 2006.

Supplied

F

rank Light was 50 years old when he became a machinist, completing his classroom education and on-the-job hours for his second trade.

“It was a good experience being a mature student,” says Light, who had already worked for many years as a millwright.

Now 59, he says his return to the classroom was in some ways easier than his first apprenticeship.

“I think it’s easier because you have more life experience. When they speak on certain subjects, you can relate it to something you’ve seen or worked on, but when you’re younger you’re maybe not exposed to those things,” he says.

Millwrights install, maintain, repair and troubleshoot stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equip-

ment, while machinists set up and operate precision metal cutting and grinding machines to make and repair products.

Light’s career in the trades started after he completed high school in Brockville, Ont. He worked at a local factory and then decided to enter the trades, inspired in part by the exposure he had to shop class during high school.

“I started my apprenticeship in the millwright trade in Ontario and when the economic downtown of the 1980s hit I heard, ‘Go west, young man,’ so that’s what I did in 1983,” Light says.

He completed his millwright apprenticeship at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and eventually settled in Peace River, working as a millwright at DMI Peace River Pulp.

Light entered his second trade many years later, thanks to an employer who encouraged employees to pursue dual tickets in the trades. He felt becoming a machinist would complement his work as a millwright.

Mid-career moves such as Light’s are becoming more common, according to Krista Uggerslev, an applied research fellow at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

“If we look at 60 years ago, people on average had one career and stuck with that career their whole lives. Ten years ago, we’d say people have three careers, and now we’re talking about people having nine careers in their lifetime,” Uggerslev says.

With a projected shortage of 114,000 workers in Alberta by 2021, employers will be looking at non-traditional sources of labour, says Uggerslev, including people with disabilities, people living in remote northern communities, immigrants, and women who are re-entering the workforce after

By Cailynn Klingbeil

having children. “We’re seeing more of a focus on mid-career women entering trades,” Uggerslev says.

While some people turn to the trades right out of high school, others make the switch later in life. “We’re seeing much more re-education, so education not just for people coming out of high school but for people at all ages,” says Uggerslev.

For Light, his return to the classroom later in his career has served him well. After finishing his apprenticeship he continued working at the pulp mill, then took a teaching position in Thunder Bay. When he returned to Peace River, he was ready to try something new. After a conversation with his brother, a business owner in Edmonton, Light decided to start his own company. Channico Machine and Millwright Services Ltd. began in 2006.

“My brother was my silent business partner. He had the business savvy side of it and understood how to get a new business off the ground and I had the technical side and past experience,” Light says.

His company is a repair facility that employees millwrights, machinists and welders. He has 10 employees, including a student in the Registered Apprenticeship Program.

The work at his shop is varied, from repairing rotating equipment for companies in the oilfield to farm equipment for local farmers. “It’s challenging some days, but to have the independence and be your own boss is really good,” he says. “It’s lifelong learning and usually always different every day. The work is not monotonous.”

spring 2013

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29

Today’s Journeypeople

SKILLED, RESPECTED AND IN DEMAND Investing in apprenticeship training today will help ensure a future generation of highly skilled tradespeople.

When you hire and train apprentices, you are growing your business and your community.

Invest in your people, your business, your future.

Visit tradesecrets.alberta.ca or call 310-0000 and ask for the apprenticeship and industry training office nearest you.

immigrants >> TRADESALBERTA

Finding a new spark with welding

Mennonite Centre for Newcomers provided advice on courses, loans By cailynn klingbeil | photo by jason franson

W

hen Anthony Marks immigrated to Canada, the 48-yearold came with a lengthy resume that included jobs in architectural drafting in his home country of Guyana and teaching in the technical department at a school in Botswana.

He took his first job in Canada with a construction company in Fort McMurray, leaving his wife and eightyear-old son in Edmonton. On that job, a friend told Marks about the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers.

After a trip to the centre, Marks began to consider his career options.

He looked to welding, a trade in which he had some experience and one that he felt had ample opportunity for employment and advancement in Canada. Marks entered a welding course at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and liked what he learned.

“After completing the course, I inquired with the lecturer about what the next steps I should take to really make myself compatible to the Canadian system of welding,” Marks says.

On his teacher’s advice he decided to enter a

The welding technician course is going to make me more marketable.

Without it, I couldn’t enter the apprenticeship system.

Anthony Marks, 48, Guyanese immigrant

welding technician program at NAIT, which will give him the knowledge needed to challenge the apprenticeship board exam and enter an apprenticeship in the trade.

“The welding technician course is going to make me more marketable. Without it, I couldn’t enter the apprenticeship system, but now I will definitely be called an apprentice,” Marks says.

When he visited the centre for newcomers, he also learned about the Immigrant Access Fund, which provides loans of up to $10,000 to immigrants to help

with the costs of obtaining the Canadian accreditation or training they need to become fully employed in their field. He received a $5,100 loan from the fund in November 2012.

That money will help cover tuition for NAIT’s welding program, which Marks started in 2013.

Violet Poon, director of program development for the fund, says loans can be used for expenses including tuition and exam fees, tools, books and course materials, and qualification assessments. continued on page 32

Anthony Marks, 48, is originally from South America.

He is studying to become a welder, thanks to support from the Immigrant Access Fund.

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31

TRADESALBERTA

>> immigrants

finding a new spark continued from page 31

While the fund has historically not had a lot of applications from immigrants pursuing trades certification, Poon says it’s an area the organization hopes to expand.

“We support people who did that trade work outside of Canada. They may not have received formal training but they have some experience doing that work and come here and want to be an apprentice,” she said.

Marks says there have been many differences between learning welding in Canada and his experience with the trade in South America and Africa.

“There are lots of things I admire about Canada and one is safety regulations. There’s training on (what to do) if you’re in this situation. We don’t have that in my country,” he says.

While starting a new career in a new country at age 48 may seem daunting to some, Marks is looking forward to what’s ahead.

“For the first few months it was real tough. I wanted to know if I’d made the right decision. But there are a lot of opportunities if you are dedicated,” he says.

On behalf of the Labour Relations Committee www.ecaa.ab.ca

Starting fresh NorQuest College prepares newcomers for trades careers By cailynn klingbeil photo by jason franson

W

hen Khalid Lahroudi immigrated to Canada in 2007 he found work as a cook, the same job he had in Morocco.

The 33-year-old worked in the industry for two years before deciding he wanted to try something new. The opportunity for a career change came when Lahroudi’s wife told him about a new program at NorQuest College, where she was studying English.

“Someone at NorQuest told her about a new trades program for aboriginal and immigrant students and she told me about it,” Lahroudi says.

The program was NorQuest College’s apprenticeship preparation pilot program, launched in January 2012 in partnership with the Alberta Pipe Trades College.

Powering Alberta’s Future

On behalf of the Labour Relations Committee www.ecaa.ab.ca

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE A UNIONIZED ELECTRICAL WORKER? • The list of benefits is a long one, including good wages, pension and health and welfare coverage.

• Unionized electricians also have real training opportunities through facilities in Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray (EITC).

• These facilities provide pre-apprenticeship training for prospective electricians, upgrade training for apprentices and journeypersons and industry driven specialty training for electricians and contractors.

• Training is financed through the Electrical Industry Education Trust Fund of Alberta. This Trust Fund is jointly managed by Trustees from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Unionized members of the Electrical Contractor Association of Alberta (ECAA). The Fund is financed by negotiated hourly contributions made by employers on behalf of employees.

Working in partnership to service the needs of our valued customers

immigrants >> TRADESALBERTA

in a new place After signing up for the program, Lahroudi chose plumbing because the trade is creative and will help him be self-employed one day.

“Taking a trade is not only about working right now, it’s also about my future. I don’t want to be working for people all my life, I want to have my own business,” he says.

Despite a more than 12-year hiatus from the classroom, Lahroudi says he enjoyed his time back in school. He’s now apprenticing for the Edmonton firm Arpi’s North.

Elaine McPhee, chair of literacy and essential skills at NorQuest College, says the institution has offered apprenticeship preparation programs for about 25 years. This latest partnership with the Alberta Pipe Trades College has been the “most successful model yet.”

“The reason for that is that students are going on to the Pipe Trades College to have hands-on experience and have the chance to try out the trade, gain skills, and then get help to transition into the workforce,” McPhee says.

“It’s a unique collaboration, because students get their blue books (in which they document their hours) right away because they’re going into union jobs.

It’s an assured thing.”

The apprenticeship preparation program is for aboriginal and immigrant students, including people who have never been exposed to the trades.

Students get help finding a job in the pipe trades, and plenty of support to transition into the workforce.

“They feel confident and prepared to be in the job without having fear of not know-

Khalid Lahroudi is an immigrant from Morocco who completed NorQuest College’s apprenticeship prep program and is now apprenticing as a plumber.

ing what to do, because we can prepare them with different aspects of the trades before they get on the job site,” Waples says.

Of the 15 students who challenged and passed the apprenticeship entrance exam in April 2012, 14 are employed in their chosen trade.

Program graduate Lahroudi says he felt very prepared when he entered the trade and he’s now focused on what’s ahead. “I’m looking forward to being a journeyman in plumbing, and I hope to own my own business,” he says.

NorQuest College Apprenticeship Preparation ■■ Targeted to immigrants and aboriginals ■■ A partnership with Alberta Pipe Trades College ■■ Program focus: welding, plumbing, steam-fitting and pipefitting ■■ Four months class study (science, math, reading skills, computer literacy and workplace culture) ■■ Ten weeks training at the Alberta Pipe Trades College ■■ Next intake: September 2013

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TRADESALBERTA

>> safety

Safe sites

are good for business Companies train employees to know and to care

By Omar Mouallem

SUPPLIED

Marlene Lane, Syncrude Canada Ltd.’s safety manager (right), with firstyear apprentice welder Brandon Herman at the Syncrude oilsands project north of Fort McMurray.

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safety >> TRADESALBERTA

P

roperly trained employees are aware of their surroundings and of their co-workers, while safe work sites mean fewer injuries. But safety also helps businesses flourish.

“If you have a safe work site and people working safely, that impacts a greater level of productivity,” says James Gibbins, the executive director of Building Trades of Alberta, an organization comprised of 16 trade unions and 20 locals representing 75,000 Alberta tradespeople.

Another incentive — the threat of a hefty fine ■■The Protections and Compliance Statutes Amendment Act, part of Bill 6, went into effect in December 2012. It made six amendments to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, including an administrative penalty up to $10,000 — which can apply per violation, per day — for companies ignoring safety codes.

■■A second change gives safety officers the authority to request that workers identify themselves to ensure they’re qualified to be on-site. “This is all about ensuring that

those who would put workers in danger are held accountable,” says Brookes Merritt, spokesperson for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.

Caring for co-workers For skilled tradespeople, whether they’re boilermakers or bricklayers, safe performance is part of what they learn during apprenticeship.

But many employers, such as Syncrude, also require tradespeople to complete onthe-job courses.

There are hundreds of courses in Syncrude’s inventory. For example, power line technicians are required to do aerial work training, which simulates rising 20 metres into the air in a basket.

Syncrude’s safety manager learned the value of being properly prepared after a motorcycle accident.

In her first season of riding, Marlene Lane took a hard spill that cracked her windshield.

“I could have been injured, if I wasn’t wearing my safety gear,” said Lane, who walked away unharmed.

“Understanding the risks to motorcycle activity was really important to make sure the right controls were in place,” she said, “just like in the workplace.”

Syncrude also instills a “culture of intervention” in the 5,000-plus tradespeople and labourers at its two Fort McMurray refineries says Lane. “You can have a binder filled with safety procedures, but when you’re working in a field it’s about caring about the people working around you and knowing they care about you.”

Extra training At Building Trades of Alberta, each trade union in the organization offers comprehensive training at its facilities. With a $15 million to $20 million operating budget, it’s the largest privately funded training facility in Canada.

“We have a lot of young workers and, with the booming economy, a lot of workers coming from outside Alberta, especially in the trades,” says Lisa Glover, public affairs officer with Occupational Health and Safety. “We have newcomers coming from jurisdictions with different rules and regulations, but just because it was appropriate there, doesn’t mean it meets a standard here.”

Checking safety records New hires of any age can check Human Service’s Employer Records online database of safety histories.

Aside from the number of lost-time claims and fatal incidents, it shows whether companies have earned a certificate of recognition, indicating they have a health and safety program that meets Alberta Employment and Immigration’s standards.

“It’s an independent measure, an indication of your level of safety,” said Lane. “That’s what we look for when we contract companies to work on our site.”

jason franson / edmonton journal

There are fewer injuries and more productivity on safe work sites.

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TRADESALBERTA

>> for

parents

Supporting your child’s career

Solid information helps parents overcome hesitancy

by Cathie Bartlett | photo by shaughn butts

Daniel Meadwell, 16, is participating in the 4th class power engineering pathway and mentorship program through his high school. His mother, May Picardo, supports his career choice because she sees the opportunities.

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for parents >> TRADESALBERTA

Don’t let your prejudgments get in the way here.

Let your children choose their career path — it’s their life.

Tom Welling, father of teen son Colin, who is training as an auto-service technician

W

hat do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question that’s asked of young people frequently, from an early age. Quite often the answer says more about the parents’ aspirations than anything else; that is, a push to the academic world, with no thought to a career in the trades.

Tom Welling of Calgary says he had “great ideas” of his son Colin going to university.

The possibility of a trade entered the picture when an automotive teacher asked Welling and his wife if they knew about the Registered Apprenticeship Program.

“We had no idea” about RAP, he says.

The teacher explained the program and the parents talked to their son, who had heard about RAP, but wasn’t sure if it was for him.

After thinking it over, Colin applied to train as an auto-service technician and was accepted shortly before finishing Grade 11.

Shortly into summer break, he got a call from his RAP supervisor who had lined up a job for him at ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Colin put in 10-hour days working on the company’s large fleet of vehicles — and enjoyed it.

Back in school, he kept up his automotive theory work and passed the written exams in January.

The landscaping company wanted him back, so after completing Grade 12 this spring, the 18-year-old returned to his former workplace, until his next school session at the

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

“It’s been a brilliant program for him,” his father says.

May Picardo of Drayton Valley is equally enthusiastic about the 4th class power engineering pathway and mentorship program her son, Daniel Meadwell, 16, is taking while earning his high-school diploma.

Being university-educated herself, she expected Daniel to follow in her footsteps, and because he is strong academically, she was thinking more along the lines of business or medical school.

At an information night she learned about RAP’s stringent requirements and the opportunities, and changed her mind. She was “initially hesitant, but now I would rave about what he’s doing.”

Her reluctance sprang from the heavy workload Daniel would be undertaking.

However, he’s doing well in school and in the apprenticeship program, as well as participating in sports and volunteer work in the community.

Currently in Grade 11, Daniel started the program in Grade 10 via computer from school.

Last summer, he worked at Drayton Valley Power, where he gained excellent hands-on experience while accumulating the required work hours to continue with the program.

As of January, he is registered at NAIT and Frank Maddock High School.

When he graduates from Grade 12, he will

have his 4th class power engineering certificate as well as his high-school diploma — “a workable diploma,” Picardo says.

He can then take courses to upgrade his trade certificate, and branch out to business and management opportunities at a young age.

“What a fantastic start for a high school student,” Picardo says, adding that if Daniel decides to go to university, he will have a backup career.

Whatever lies ahead, the trade he’s pursuing is a career, not a job, she stressed, and one that’s in demand.

Tom Welling, who is college-educated, admitted that as a parent he had trouble letting go of his expectations of an academic career for his son, whom he described as “really sharp.”

He changed his mind when he saw his son’s “real desire to go this route,” adding that Colin’s experience last summer proved to the family he was happy and good at it.

What would Tom Welling tell other parents wondering about trades careers for their children? “Don’t let your prejudgments get in the way here.”

He has known people who went to school “for the sake of going to school,” and saw a big difference between them and those who wanted to be there and were keen about what they were doing.

Let your children choose their career path, he says — “it’s their life.”

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TRADESALBERTA

>> scholarships

Financial help

available for apprentices

By Pamela Irving | photo by jason franson

Scholarships through AAIT

Scholarships through RAP

■■ What is AAIT: Established by the Alberta government, the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training board grants financial awards to apprentices and trainees in need ■■ Program history: $5 million granted to over 5,000 apprentices over the past 10 years ■■ Average scholarship value: $1,000; $1,500 for top applicants ■■ Scholarships available: AAIT grants over 900 scholarships annually.

■■ Categories: AAIT; top apprenticeship; pre-apprenticeship; Registered Apprenticeship Program; Career and Technology Studies (CTS) Apprenticeship Pathways ■■ Qualifications: Alberta residents with apprenticeship technical training during the past year and at least one period of technical training remaining; or those who have successfully completed a recognized preapprenticeship program ■■ Other factors: Academic background, trade preference and gender may all influence the decision to award a scholarship

■■ What is RAP: The Registered Apprenticeship Program, a program that allows high school students to earn credits toward their apprenticeship while also finishing high school ■■ Recent history: 246 RAP scholarships awarded in 2011 ■■ Scholarships available: 500 scholarships available per year ■■ Average scholarship value: $1,000 ■■ Qualifications: Alberta residents registered as an Alberta apprentice in a trade while still attending high school; must have completed a minimum of 250 hours of on-the-job training and work experience in a trade; must be continuing in an approved regular apprenticeship program

Don’t overlook this amazing opportunity to have your education funded while you train in a trade. jessica poirier, 18, second-year apprentice millwright

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Jessica Poirier is a millwright apprentice at NAIT and was in the Registered Apprenticeship Program in high school where she received a scholarship.

SO YOU’VE READ TRADES ALBERTA…NOW WHAT?

How to get involved in the Trades with

CAREERS: The Next Generation

In the High School Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) Contact:

If you are an

EMPLOYER

If you are an

EDUCATOR

If you are a

STUDENT

CAREERS The Next Generation

Partner with CAREERS to:

www.nextgen.org/employers

• Find a RAP student apprentice to suit your workplace demands • Grow your skilled workforce

Contact:

Partner with CAREERS to:

CAREERS The Next Generation www.nextgen.org/schools Contact: Your School Off-Campus Coordinator

Contact:

CAREERS

• Receive a career awareness presentation at your school • Set up your students with RAP apprenticeship opportunities

Become a CAREERS RAP intern to: • Get work experience • Get high school credit • Get paid

The Next Generation www.nextgen.org/students

To get involved in a future worth working for…

Call 1.888.757.7172 or visit www.nextgen.org

CAREERS: The Next Generation is a unique, non-profit organization raising youth awareness of career options and helping students earn while they learn through internship and apprenticeship.

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@CAREERSNextGen