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I\u2019ve been working in the skilled trades for 35 years, and throughout my career, I\u2019ve seen firsthand how the trades can open doors for students who learn and thrive in different ways. Early on, it became clear to me that not all students are headed for university, and that\u2019s okay. As I worked with young people, many would tell me that the trades are much more relevant to them. The way they were learning was better suited for them. Having those conversations inspired me to focus on supporting students as they explored careers in the skilled trades.<\/p>\n
What I love most about this field is the variety of opportunities available. Many students don\u2019t realize how many different paths can begin with learning a trade. The skills they learn today is often just the starting point. Along the way, they develop valuable transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and leadership that can serve them throughout their careers.<\/p>\n
In my Skill Area, Job Skill Demonstration, we can support, counsel, and prepare students as they take their next steps. It\u2019s incredibly rewarding to help them discover their strengths, build confidence, and see possibilities they may never have considered before. As a National Technical Committee (NTC) Member at the Skills Canada National Competition, I am proud to be part of an organization that showcases these opportunities and helps young people explore careers in a hands-on, engaging way. If I could offer one piece of advice to high school students, it would be this: take advantage of the opportunities available to you while you’re in school. Explore the programs and courses that are offered, be curious, and don\u2019t be afraid to try something new. Choosing a skilled trade can be a great experience, and for many people, it can be life changing. You never know where that first step might lead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve been working in the skilled trades for 35 years, and throughout my career, I\u2019ve seen firsthand how the trades can open doors for students who learn and thrive in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":114952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[234],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n