THE NEXT GENERATION
Panel of apprentices.
What role did proper training and attending an apprenticeship program have in the success of your career?
Icompleted my “Introduction to Construction” course at the UA Piping Industry College of BC (UAPICBC) on Nov. 22, 2013. Prior to that I worked at a daycare centre and a grocery store. This training provider is endorsed by the ITA so I felt that I would receive a proper education in the trades and maximize my opportunity for employment. I am now obtaining my “B” Level ticket so I can be prepared for the LNG opportunities in our province. In the time spent at the school, we had many opportunities to talk to some of the UA Local 170 members who were doing their upgrading in the same location and thus had a good understanding of the union’s role in the training, dispatching, and ongoing support of its membership.
Enrolling in the ACE IT program definitely played the biggest role in helping me achieve success in my career. I would not have been able to make it this far, in such a short amount of time, without the ACE IT program. Not only did the program jumpstart my career, it also helped me save money, as I was able to work towards college credits during my grad year.
Did these training programs help set you up with an employer once completed?
Yes as mentioned it secured significant employment with the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union 993 who contacted Local 170 for a specific welding process that they needed welders for in Kitimat. The UA Local 170 trainers provided additional training for this weld procedure and so just after two months of completing the welding foundation and just eight months after working as a daycare provider, I was working in Kitimat for $39 an hour.Wow, is this a dream come true or what. Our timing was impeccable and the support of the unions working in partnership with industry really contributed to a great opportunity for myself and four other women in my welding foundation class at the UAPICBC.
Yes, my ACE IT instructor connected me to my present employer. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take this program, and especially thankful for my teacher, Kim Or, as she guided and supported me through my early apprenticeship journey. Finding an apprenticeship sponsor would have been much more difficult without being in the ACE IT program.
What advice do you have for people looking for a career in the trades industries and eventually joining a recognized union?
Make sure you are familiar with the union you wish to join. A real union is transparent in their negotiations with employers and with collective agreements, and the membership gets to vote on the agreement before it is ratified. At the UA PICBC, we do not have to be in a union to attend and there is no pressure to join upon completion of your program. There is however information available, so that I could make an informed choice on whether to join or not. The decision to join, in my opinion has resulted in more job opportunities with good pay and benefits as well as a healthy environment in the various workplaces.
All students that are thinking about a
career in trades should definitely enroll in the ACE IT program. It opens up so many doors to great opportunities and people that will help you stay on the right track to a successful career in trades. Most importantly, I would encourage students to be fearless and explore the world of trades. There are over 100 trades in B.C.! Don’t hesitate — you might miss out on something big!