Evan Blanchard : “I graduated in February and started working in March.”
Age: 19
City: Milton
Program: Electrical
What is your most awesome Centre moment?
Completing all of my hands-on projects in shop; and my final blueprint project (which I did very well on – with an 89%). It took a lot of time; my classmate and I stayed up overnight the night before it was due and then came to class in the morning.
Why did you decide to train at The Centre?
Because I had heard good reviews about the program. I was looking to get into the electrical field and I was looking for something that would allow me to do that.
What are you doing now?
I am currently doing my Communications Electrical Apprenticeship and I work for APCI Communications. I am also a member of the IBEW – Electrical Union. My company has a contract at St. Joe’s Hospital so I will be there until fall 2013. I am doing all of the communications installations in that building including pulling fiber optic cable and CAT 6a. I actually love waking up at 5:00am in the morning when most of the people I know are still doing nothing. It’s great to know that not only am I working but I am contributing to something that is going to benefit society. And I love my job!
The coolest thing about my job is just being in the skilled trades atmosphere, working with a lot of different trades and seeing how things comes together – things that you wouldn’t see when all the walls are up and it’s functioning. I’m accumulating hours for my apprenticeship which is pretty cool because 3 years down the road I will be a journeyman. I will be able to also do another apprenticeship so by the time I am 27 I will have 2 tickets and be earning a lot of money. Without my training I never would have got this job.
How did Job Search Assistance help you?
I sat down with Danielle Scott, the Student Liaison and Outreach Worker, and wrote a resume (and Danielle was awesome at this). I sent out some resumes myself and Mike Harwood, the Job Developer, sent some to employers and really helped me narrow down what I wanted to do. Then I went to an interview at APCI and got hired. I graduated in February and started working in March.
How did The Centre help you achieve your career goal?
By coming to school every day and learning the basics of electrical. I don’t think that APCI would have even acknowledged my application if I didn’t have electrical background. Thanks to the Centre I got the hands-on electrical background I needed.
What tool in your tool box can you not live without?
Side cutters. I need them every day. They are always in my pocket – I pretty much use them for everything.
What do you love about working in the trades?
I love everything. Walking onsite everyday with 600 other tradesmen and we all go do what we were put there to do and seeing it all come together. How you can rely on other trades to help you do your job. Not sitting behind a desk – I am using my hands every day and not wearing a suit and tie. Getting to use equipment and work in all sorts of situations.
What time-saving tip can you share with our readers?
When you do something, do it right the first time so that you don’t have to go back and waste time.
Interested in learning more about The Centre’s pre-apprenticeship skilled trades programs? Visit our website and sign up for a free information session: http://thecentre.on.ca/skilledtrades
