Trade: Carpenter
Employer: Sawchuk Developments
Location: Kelowna, BC

“I’ve been in Australia and New Zealand for the last couple years. I always wanted to come to Canada, so I came.”

Jamie Dickinson can make the journey to Canada sound simple, but the process, as most know, is anything but easy. Help and guidance along the way is necessary. For Jamie, with his background in carpentry, he found his way to the right contacts to ensure he was prepared for the Canadian workforce.

There are a couple key people who played helpful roles in Jamie’s Canadian employment story. Let’s start at the beginning, before Canada became a home, with Natalie Durham, an Employment Liaison from the BCCA Integrating Newcomers program. She started communicating with Jamie long before he stepped foot on Canadian ground.

STEP Participant and Carpenter for Sawchuk Developments Jamie Dickinson.

The BCCA Integrating Newcomers program (BCCA-IN), managed by the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA), helps newcomers before they come to Canada to enter the construction workforce in British Columbia.

“One of our roles is to look at a client’s education and their credentials,” says Natalie. “My role with Jamie was really to provide him with information and resources to help with settlement. Once I knew he was a carpenter, I was able to provide him with information from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and really encourage him to think about transferring his credentials over to Canadian ones. I also really just reassured him because the labour market in Kelowna and throughout the valley is booming.”

Given Natalie’s connection to BCCA, the next step was a natural connection. Jamie was “a perfect candidate” for the Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP), a program also managed by the BCCA.

“The fortunate thing about him coming to Kelowna and us having the Skilled Trades Employment Program here is that I was able to connect him with one of the Regional Employment Placement Specialists, Sharon. Once he landed, that’s what we did,” says Natalie.

And that is the introduction to the next key helper in Jamie’s Canadian employment story, Sharon Miller, a Regional Employment Placement Specialist (REPS) with STEP. STEP has been connecting motivated, trained, ready-to-work candidates to construction employers in BC since 2006.

“Natalie and I have worked pretty closely in the past together with the new immigrants who are arriving and looking for work in the construction trades. It was a no brainer that Natalie would refer Jamie to STEP with his construction and his carpentry background.” says Sharon.

STEP Participant Jamie Dickinson with his STEP REPS Sharon Miller.

Jamie also helped himself, bringing a strong determination and making big goals. When he landed in Canada, he was focused on working as quickly as possible and set a one week timeline to make it happen. Thanks to the high demand for skilled workers in BC and across Canada, along with the valley’s booming construction work and Jamie’s skill level, his goal proved to be realistic.

In order to get to work, Jamie had to re-stock his work equipment. STEP could help with that, too. He received a new pair of work boots and PPE, along with new tools of the trade so he could get started on a job immediately.

“We got him a job within a week. Okay, maybe a week and a half, but it was pretty quick and painless for him. I’m so pleased about that,” says Sharon.

And that leads to the next major player here: Jamie’s employer. Sharon connected with Shane Mosley, the Manager of Human Resources with Sawchuk Developments, to hand him Jamie’s resume. She had a feeling it could be a fit, and she was right.

Shane Mosley, Manager of Human Resources for STEP Employer Sawchuk Developments in Kelowna, BC.

“The skill level Jamie brings is important to us in the finishing end which is what we’re doing in this particular job where he’s working,” says Shane.

Construction employers continue to feel the stress of the skilled trades shortage, and STEP is focused on making the right connections for employers and job seekers to build a strong, vibrant BC construction industry.

“This year with the shortage of trades people we reached out to STEP and met with Sharon. Sharon was great. She interviewed me and wanted to know what our needs were. She shared with me the opportunities she was getting of workers coming in through her, including Jamie,” says Shane.

If you’re an employer or a job seeker, take tips from Jamie’s experience and talk to the STEP team. If you’re planning to move to Canada and have construction experience, talk to the BCCA-IN team. These are connections that can help make the journey to employment easier, at no cost.

“STEP gave us a good candidate. I would recommend it for others as well. I think it’s a good opportunity to get some skills into the organization,” says Shane.

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Apprentice Electricians – Brett Halston and Joshua Pavlakovic

Q&A | STEP Employer Sawchuk Developments

Trade: Security Systems Technician Apprentice / Construction Electrician Apprentice
Employer: Pacificom Integration
Location: White Rock, BC

A good attitude. Strong listening skills. The ability to take direction.

Three ways Parve Mohsenipour, foreman with Pacificom Integrations, describes Pacificom’s Security Systems Technician/Construction Electrician Apprentice, Weiny Nong.

“She’s always trying to step ahead of the task she’s assigned to. She stays ahead of the game,” says Parve.

Weiny’s work ethic and dedication could be attributed to the fact that she knows what she wants. She wanted a career in the trades. She worked hard to get there, and she plans to work even harder while she’s here.

“For myself, I knew I wanted to get into the trades. I was very specific about what I wanted to get into,” says Weiny. “I got exactly what I was looking for with STEP – my case was very specific. My STEP REPS was amazing. He helped me through a lot. I was able to touch up my resume and find an employer that has my needs and I have what they need.”

The case was unique, so STEP’s Regional Employment Placement Specialist (REPS) Kyle worked with his connections to find the right fit. Weiny knew her path would be in the electrical trade. Coming from Ontario, Weiny had completed an electrical training course years before, but had never had the opportunity to work in the trade.

“That can make it difficult to find work in a competitive trade, and electrical is the most competitive,” says Kyle. “The other issue was her out-of-province training was not ITA accredited. This meant it may or may not count for a Level 1 of the technical training.”

Kyle had been in touch with Pacificom Integration weeks before meeting Weiny. He knew they were looking to hire but struggling to fill positions for the security/data & communications team. This shortage of hires had increased the starting wages and Kyle knew it was a good opportunity.

“Security Systems Technician is an ITA recognized trade. SST/data & communications are similar to the electrical trade. They have a lot of overlapping training. I had a good feeling about it, so I asked Weiny if she was interested and she was,” says Kyle.

Pacificom Integration welcomed the opportunity to sponsor Weiny as a Security Systems Technician Apprentice while also sharing her work with the electrical division when needed.

“This would allow her to learn both trades,” says Kyle. And learning both trades keeps Weiny busy and driven – just the way she likes it.

“It’s a combination of using your brains and the physicality of it. You’re learning something new every day. There’s no shortage of work, let’s say that. It’s exciting. It’s something that drives me to be a better worker,” says Weiny.

It wasn’t long before Pacificom Integration sponsored Weiny as a Construction Electrician Apprentice too.

Weiny is thankful to STEP for finding the opportunity with Pacificom Integration and setting her up for success with the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and tools to ensure she was job-ready from day one.

When giving guidance to others, Weiny has three pieces of advice: “Thanks to STEP, I was able to hit the ground running with Pacificom and here I am. I’m doing what I wanted to do. I would tell others: Do your best. You’re smarter than you know. Don’t be afraid to take the first step.”

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Apprentice Sheet Metal Worker – Aaron Smith

Trade: Apprentice Joiner
Location: Sidney, BC

“One of the best things about being a joiner is that every day is completely different. It’s everything from pulling out windows to scraping and sanding a teak deck to repairing a priceless piece of art,” says Charles Edmonds, an apprentice joiner at Philbrook’s Boatyard on Vancouver Island.

Charles connected with his joiner apprenticeship through STEP.

“The joiner work is weeks of planning and preparation, making templates and milling timber – and then all of a sudden it’s all done and in place – and it looks glorious. That feeling is what drives me to be a tradesman. It’s seeing something all the way through to completion; a wonderful feeling to use your hands and bring something into the world.”

After running his own business doing woodworking and carpentry for several years, Charles found himself losing interest. “I was working for myself and that’s a hard go; you need to find a niche,” notes Charles. “I wasn’t enjoying it too much anymore. I was starting to resent the work because of the administrative stresses.”

Charles chose to move on from his business and found himself in the midst of a frustrating job hunt, not sure where to go next. His existing abilities set him apart from the pack, and some lucky timing presented an opportunity. STEP was contacted by Philbrook’s Boatyard: they were seeking a woodworker with a high level of skill and training who lived in the area. Charles’ name came up when STEP reached out to Camosun College as part of their search.

“It was the perfect thing at the perfect moment,” says Charles, with the smile on his face saying a great deal. “Someone came and said ‘There’s a joiner job… are you interested?’. And yes, I was.”

Charles describes the process as seamless.

STEP was able to connect Charles with the job opportunity, arranging an interview at Philbrooks. When he was hired, STEP supplied work boots and a set of tools which Charles (then unemployed) would have had a hard time purchasing.” It was no strings attached. That was the greatest thing. It’s such a relief, too. When you are looking for a job or a career, it’s a nervous time. You’re not quite sure; it’s all very uncertain. Then suddenly – something is available.”

“This didn’t cost me anything. It put things into my pocket, which was great.”

Charles is about halfway through his apprenticeship, and has set his eye on a Red Seal ticket, which he hopes to complete entirely through Philbrook’s Boatyard.

“First and foremost is to finish the apprenticeship. I really want to see that through to the end. Philbrook’s gets a few more years of high-quality work at the very least, and if things go well I could be here for the rest of my life. And if not? I’ve taken a big step forward towards what I want to do, and there are lots of other options for someone with a ticket.”

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