Career Choices - Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade ...

“I like...finding
out what’s wrong with
machines; what I can do to fix
it or prevent it from
happening in the
future.”
- Darren Lowe
Apprenticeship in
Action

CAREER CHOICES
Choosing a career isn’t always easy.
A multitude of options are available to
youth as they begin to contemplate the
future after high school. Today, more
information is obtainable to young people
on careers in the skilled trades. The benefits
and incentives are often found firsthand as
work experience courses allow students to
try what could become their life’s work.
The Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship
Industry Scholarship is awarded to
graduates each year who have completed
the Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship
Program in high school to develop skilled
trades awareness. We spoke to three
students who received the scholarship
upon graduating. Each found the financial
rewards of the scholarship beneficial, but
even more so, the motivation to continue in
their programs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darren Haines
When Darren Haines began the Work
Experience Program through Bert Fox High
School in Fort Qu’Appelle, he chose to try
his hand as a Partsperson at Maple Farm
Equipment, a John Deere Distributor in
Balcarres. He didn’t have a background in
farming, but had the necessary skills.
“I’m very mechanically inclined, and I
tend to be organized, so that helps with
parts, keeping things where they belong
and keeping track of them,” said Darren.
“You’re always doing something, that’s one
thing I like, that you’re not sitting around.
It’s a great place to work – everyone’s very
friendly, and I get to meet new people every
day.”
Darren enjoyed his work experience,
and so when he graduated high school in
2010, he decided to follow the career path.
He finished his Level 1 and 2 training
in Saskatoon, and then returned to Fort
Qu’Appelle and his work at Maple Farm
Equipment. Once he has worked enough
hours, he will challenge Level 3, which
he can do online. After he completes his
required hours as a Level 3 apprentice,
he will challenge for the journeyperson
examination.
Today, Darren enjoys his work and is
looking forward to this career. He has had
the opportunity to familiarize himself with
the many aspects of the job during his
apprenticeship.
“You’re helping the customers, shipping,
receiving, whatever needs to be done
around the shop,” he said. “You’re not
limited to one thing.”
A typical day for Darren includes
organizing and putting away parts,
completing inventory through the cycle
count, finding parts, and completing
transfers. Work becomes more demanding
during seeding and harvest, but Darren
enjoys that challenge as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alysha Zwack
A Practical Applied Arts class during her
Grade 9 year at Carlton Comprehensive
High School in Prince Albert gave Alysha
Zwack a taste of many trades: electrical,
mechanical, machinery, welding and
carpentry. She enjoyed both the electrical
and mechanic classes, and so she continued
them through the following three years of
high school.

In Grade 12, she had the opportunity to
work in an apprenticeship program and
chose the electrical trade.
“I couldn’t get enough of it,” she said. “It
captured my interest – in how electricity
works and how something like water could
be transformed to light the city.”
After high school, Alysha had the
opportunity to work for SOS Electric
in Prince Albert during her first year of
apprenticeship. She was also able to attend
training in Prince Albert.
“In training, the theory and code was
interesting because I enjoy the paperwork,”
she said. “But being able to go into the
field, you pull this wire from point A to
point B, you put this many amps in and can
run a stove off of it – that’s pretty amazing.
Now I know the inner workings and it’s just
wild.”
Alysha will soon write her examination for
her second year of technical training. She
has been fortunate to work in the many
aspects that are involved in the trade.
The number of females in the trade is still
low, but growing. Alysha has found that at
times she has to prove herself, but there are
many employers who will give females an
equal opportunity.
“I would encourage women that if they
want to be in the trade, nothing should be
holding them back,” she said.
Alysha is considering the Industrial
Instrumentation Technician trade after she
finishes the electrical program, but right
now she is enjoying the electrical trade and
all it has to offer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darren Lowe
The term “Millwright” may not be
familiar – but the work they do makes the
infrastructure we use in our everyday lives
possible.
Darren Lowe always knew he wanted to
work in the skilled trades. What he didn’t
know was that before high school ended,
he would reconsider a welding career to
become a Millwright.
“I was talking to a friend’s dad, who was
a Millwright,” said Lowe. “He told me
a little bit about his career and I ended
up changing my mind and went into the
Millwright trade instead.”
While attending Vanier Collegiate in Moose
Jaw, Darren had taken an Industrial Arts
class in Grade 9, in which he tried various
trades. His experience in welding interested
him, and he took classes in both welding
and mechanics throughout Grade 10 to 12.
He completed a Work Experience course
in Grade 12, and consulted with a career
advisor on the best fit for him post-high
school.
“I like the hands-on work,” he said. “I don’t
mind school, but sitting in class and taking
lectures didn’t interest me. I grew up on a
farm, so I was definitely into the hands-on
kind of work.”
A Millwright is an Industrial Mechanic, and
when Darren decided on the career, he took
a four-month applied certificate course. He
came out with his first level of apprenticeship
training and a week later was offered a job.
He will work his hours before attending
technical training again.
“I think it’s a good combination,” he said
of his education. “The schooling allows for
the technical training and the hands-on is
something that will definitely help you in the
future. It’s learning from older people who
have been in the trade for awhile and learning
the best way to do things.”
Earning the scholarship helped Darren pay for
his course and provided him the motivation
to continue. He has enjoyed his work since
his 2009 graduation and looks forward to the
future.
“I like troubleshooting different things,
finding out what’s wrong with machines and
what I can do to fix it, or prevent it from
happening in the future,” he said. “Just fixing
things, really.”
For more information on the career options
available and how to become involved, visit
www.saskapprenticeship.ca.
Photos (from left): Alysha Zwack,
Darren Lowe, Darren Haines.

Learn More
on Apprenticeship
Becoming an apprentice means earning a wage while
learning your trade. As an apprentice, you learn from a
journeyperson on site, and attend technical training for
short periods to enhance your skills. Once you finish
apprenticeship training, you become a journeyperson.
There are many trades with significant job shortages, and
employers actively seeking apprentices.
So how do you start making a good wage while
working at a rewarding job – whether that be on
commercial builds, new homes, automobiles, cooking,
and more? Apply to the employers in the industry you
are interested in. You and your employer will complete
an apprenticeship contract with the Saskatchewan
Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.
There are many trades to consider for apprenticeship;
some you may have never even heard of before. Find out
more at:
www.saskapprenticeship.ca