careers: the next generation 2012

THE ANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE OILSANDS BANQUET, CELEBRATING CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP IN WOOD BUFFALO

511SCHOOLS HOSTED CAREERS IN 2011

1,020EMPLOYERS HAD A CAREERS STUDENT LAST YEAR

4,187ABORIGINAL YOUTH ATTENDED A CAREERS WORKSHOP

2021 PROJECTED CUMULATIVE LABOUR SHORTAGE

114,278

288COMMUNITIES ACROSS ALBERTA

1,514STUDENT INTERNS EXPERIENCED A WORK PLACEMENT

NORTHERN STARS

STUDENT WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

32,709

HOW CAREERS WORKS FOR ALL PARTNERS

THE EDUCATION IMPACT OF CAREERS

SUCCESS STORIES: MEET INTERNS AND MENTORS

THE FUTURE OF CAREERS

HAVE YOU HEARD? The air quality in Wood Buff alo is better than in many major cities in North America.

The air doesn’t belong to us—it belongs to the region and its inhabitants, who depend on our care of the land. That is why we are committing $1.6 billion to reduce SO2 emissions by 60%. And why we will continue to invest in technology that maintains good air quality. Because being the best means never forgetting that we can do better.

Learn more. Sign up for our e-newsletter at syncrude.ca

The Syncrude Project is a joint venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Partnership #1, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership, and Suncor Energy Oil and Gas Partnership.

Syncrude_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP.pdf_Layout 1 12-08-27 11:27 AM

CELEBRATING

15Y E A R S

CAREERS:THE NEXT GENERATION

Careers_2012_p68-01.indd 1 9/28/12 3:28:40 PM

Congratulations to

CAREERS: The Next Generation on its 15th year of helping to develop youth and the future of industry in our community.

Total E&P Canada is a proud supporter of the Oilsands Celebration Banquet.

www.total-ep-canada.com

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Congratulations to

CAREERS: The Next Generation on its 15th year of helping to develop youth and the future of industry in our community.

Total E&P Canada is a proud supporter of the Oilsands Celebration Banquet.

www.total-ep-canada.com

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We know education takes place not only in school but also on the job. CAREERS: The Next Generation plays a key role in developing the workforce that Shell and our industry require. At Shell, we’ve proudly supported CAREERS: The Next Generation since 2003.

@Shell_Canada

LET’S BUILD A BETTER ENERGY FUTURE.

Shell_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-25 10:30 AM Page 1

Careers_2012_p04-05.indd 4 9/28/12 3:21:07 PM

We know education takes place not only in school but also on the job. CAREERS: The Next Generation plays a key role in developing the workforce that Shell and our industry require. At Shell, we’ve proudly supported CAREERS: The Next Generation since 2003.

@Shell_Canada

LET’S BUILD A BETTER ENERGY FUTURE.

Shell_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-25 10:30 AM Page 1

9 Message From Eric Newell and Andy Neigel AtCAREERS:theNextGenerationweworkcloselywith

parents,schoolsandemployers.JoinusaswelooktothefutureofCAREERS.

64 Thankyou CAREERS: the Next Generationwould like to thank

theirvolunteersandpartnersinindustry,educationandcommunitiesacrossAlberta.

66 ByThenuMBers Thousands of lives are touched every year by CAREERS:

theNextGenerationprograms.

11 MeeTingTheneedsofageneraTion CAREERS: the Next Generation began in response to

aloominglabourshortageforAlberta’soilsands.FounderEricNewell,boarddirectorsandformerstafftellthestoryofhowCAREERScametobeanorganizationthatmeetstheneedsofindustryandtransformsthelivesofthousandsofAlbertateenseveryyear.

By BoBBi-Sue Menard

18 educaTionadvanTage To get the attention of the modern teen is no easy feat.

CAREERSpresentsworkshopsandcareeroptionstoteensinhighschoolsacrossAlbertawiththedirectsupportofprogramspecialists,highschoolcounsellors,andeducationleaders.

By elizaBeth Chorney-Booth

27 sharedPassion Team members at CAREERS share their inside view

ontheimpactofCAREERS,whytheyarededicatedtotheorganizationandthepossibilitiesforthefuture.

By Cailynn KlingBeil

40 aTTracTingTalenT The Health Sciences

CareerCampallowsyouthtoexperiencemanydifferenthealthsciencesprograms,tourfacilitiesandmeetandlearnfromavarietyofhealth-careprofessionalsinaweeklongcamp.Ourphotographer,EugeneUhaud,takesintheactiononasingledayatthecampheldatNorquestCollege’scampus,August13-16,2012.

By Cailynn KlingBeil

61 lookToThefuTure The demand for a trained workforce continues to grow.

ThefutureholdsopportunitiesandchallengesforCAREERStomeettheneedsofAlbertaindustryandworkersthrougheducation,businessandpartnerships.

By Caitlin CrawShaw

feaTures

coluMns

Profiles

23 leadingThenexTgeneraTion A good relationship between apprentice and journeyman

changeslivesforeverandcreatesthequalityworkforceindustryneedstothrive.MeetsevenapprenticesandjourneymenwhoseexperienceswiththeCAREERSRegisteredApprenticeshipProgramsetthestandardfortalentrecruitment.

The annual publication of the Oilsands Banquet norThernsTars �

CAREERS: the Next GenerationconTenTs•FALL 2012

Careers_2012_p04-05.indd 5 10/1/12 2:35:26 PM

Big jobs. Big pride. Big team spirit.We’re hiring skilled tradespeople, operators and technicians.

Go ahead. Apply now! www.suncor.com/trades

Connect with your future!

™ Trademark of Suncor Energy Inc.

Suncor_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-22 3:08 PM Page 1

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Integrated Solutions to Address Caprock and Well Integrity

Global Expertise Innovative Technology Measurable Impact

Heavy Oil

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Cenovus_CAREERS_OSB2012 - 1/3SQ_Layout 1 12-09-10 3:33 PM Page 1

10259-105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3

Tel: 780-990-0839 Fax: 780-425-4921

NORTHERN STARS

RUTH KELLY Publisher

JOYCE BYRNEAssociate Publisher

BOBBI-SUE MENARDManaging Editor

CAILYNN KLINGBEILAssociate Editor

CHARLES BURKEArt Director

ANDREA DEBOERAssociate Art Director

COLIN SPENCEAssistant Art Director

BETTY-LOU SMITHProduction Coordinator

BRENT FELZIENProduction Technician

Northern Stars is the annual publication of the Oilsands Banquet, celebrating corporate and community leadership in Wood Buffalo.

Northern Stars is published through a collaboration between Venture Publishing and Westbrier Communications. The 2012 honoree is

CAREERS: the Next Generation. To be placed on a list to receive more information about the banquet and the organizations it supports,

email: [email protected]

VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.

WESTBRIER COMMUNICATIONS

PHIL ENARSONEvent Management & Marketing

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Caitlin Crawshaw,

Matt Hirji

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: FX Photographic, Rob Ganzeveld, Greg Halinda,

Jeff Noon, Kelly Redinger, Eugene Uhuad

ERIC NEWELLFounder, Board Chair

ANDY NEIGELPresident/CEO

ALAN FISHERVP, Operations

JERRY HECKVP, Stakeholder Relations & GrowthBig jobs. Big pride. Big team spirit.

We’re hiring skilled tradespeople, operators and technicians.

Go ahead. Apply now! www.suncor.com/trades

Connect with your future!

™ Trademark of Suncor Energy Inc.

Suncor_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-22 3:08 PM Page 1

CAREERS: THE NEXT GENERATION

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Energy from the oil sands means opportunities for people all across Canada, and here at home.

Canada,tunitiesoppor

Energy from the

and here at home.Canada, for tunities

oil sands Energy from the

and here at home.all people for

oil sands

and here at home.acrossmeansoil sands

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000CAR-CAPP-FP.indd 1 9/26/12 4:13:59 PMCareers_2012_p08-09.indd 8 9/28/12 3:17:02 PM

Energy from the oil sands means opportunities for people all across Canada, and here at home.

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Energy from the

and here at home.Canada, for tunities

oil sands Energy from the

and here at home.all people for

oil sands

and here at home.acrossmeansoil sands

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000CAR-CAPP-FP.indd 1 9/26/12 4:13:59 PM

WelcomeWe invite you to celebrate with us as CAREERS: the Next Generation reaches a milestone: 15 years of working with parents, schools and employers to give Alberta youth a path to a career and build a skilled Alberta workforce

Students want the opportunity to explore career options to fi nd that passion that makes them excited about their future. Our experience is that students who fi nd their career niche tend to be more productive, motivated and innovative in the workplace.

Recently the Government of Alberta introduced “Inspir-ing Education,” which is a dialogue with Albertans that aims to build on an already successful learning system. � ree important characteristics identifi ed for future success of an educated Albertan are to be an engaged thinker, ethical citizen and have an entrepreneurial spirit. CAREERS is very much aligned with these ideal characteristics. Many students entering CAREERS programs become more engaged thinkers as relevance to learning in school and workplace learning increases. Many of our successful workplaces in Alberta have strong entrepreneurial cultures that our student interns can witness and learn from fi rst-hand.

We continue to promote the three WINS at CAREERS that result from students having the opportunity to connect to a career. � e fi rst WIN is with young Albertans who become better students; the second WIN is with the employer who can grow his or her own skilled workforce and the third WIN is with the community that has engaged productive citizens.

However, our success even after 15 years is just beginning to tap into the opportunity of engaging our youth in career exploration. We know that having 10,000 student interns working with many thousands of employers each year is possible. Imagine if all students had the opportunity to kick the tires of the many career opportunities that exist in Alberta’s vibrant economy. Imagine if all employers were an extension of our schools and key partners in educating our youth. Imagine if communities had youth participating and becoming future leaders in building better places to live. � is is all possible but it starts with schools, parents and employers providing the opportunity. CAREERS will continue to be the catalyst to bring the partners together. Let’s take advantage of the situation to grow our own workforce.

C

Message from CAREERS: the Next Generation

AREERS began in the Fort McMurray region in the 1990s and 15 years later is active in over 500 schools in almost 300 communities across Alberta, working with more than 1,000 employers

each year to place 1,500 youth as interns in the workplace. Working closely with students, parents, schools and employ-ers, we are able to help connect the dots between learning and earning. CAREERS has expanded our program off erings to align with projected gaps in skilled worker opportunities. We have led in development of “dual-credit” programs that allow students to pursue a career path in a post-secondary learning institution while attending high school.

As Alberta grows, our key limiting factor in reaching our potential is availability of a skilled workforce. � is is where CAREERS comes in.

9The annual publication of the Oilsands Banquet NORTHERN STARS

Eric Newell, CAREERS Chair, Board of Directors

Andy Neigel, CAREERSCEO, President

Careers_2012_p08-09.indd 9 10/1/12 2:38:37 PM

w w w . k e y a n o . c aLook for the grand opening of Keyano College’s new Oilsands Power and Process Engineering Lab the fall of 2013

Congratulations to Careers the Next Generation on 15 years of success!

KEYANO COLLEGE AND CAREERS THE NEXT GENERATION

TRADESTECHNOLOGY HEALTH SCIENCES

Working towards building and

securing a sustainable workforce.

AYYAEK

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Keyano_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-02 12:46 PM Page 1

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w w w . k e y a n o . c aLook for the grand opening of Keyano College’s new Oilsands Power and Process Engineering Lab the fall of 2013

Congratulations to Careers the Next Generation on 15 years of success!

KEYANO COLLEGE AND CAREERS THE NEXT GENERATION

TRADESTECHNOLOGY HEALTH SCIENCES

Working towards building and

securing a sustainable workforce.

AYYAEK

COOOAN

ANEEGLL CO

ARCDD AN

SREERRE

AYYAEK

COOO AN

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Keyano_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-02 12:46 PM Page 1

ach year a seemingly disparate group of peoplecomes together to celebrate. Glowing with pride,

teens speak in front of an enthusiastic audience of

corporate decision-makers about their achievements

in the trades and their nascent mastery of technical training.

The audience is peppered with parents, grateful for a lifetime

opportunity and path for their young adults. Teachers are

E there, listening to the teens speak of an educational program

that is remarkably eff ective, authentic and successful. It

is even possible to see journeypersons, experienced in

Alberta’s trades, attentively watching and listening to the

teens who, only months before, were raw and untested in the

workforce. Now, after many hours of patience, they’re on the

path to a promising career.

By Bobbi-Sue Menard

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Meeting the Needs of a GenerationCAREERS: the Next Generation is a made-in-Alberta response to match the workforce needs of business with the goals and dreams of Alberta’s young people


CAREERS: the Next Generation

DANIELLE KIRKWOOD, Syncrude.

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 11 9/28/12 3:12:55 PM

Began work with TECH PREP, a model for assisting youth with school-to-work transitions beyond the trades

January 1997, the o� cial launch of CAREERS as a foundation

13 communities involved in programs

First province wide conference held:

2000 PLUS: Ready for Our Future

Doubled number of communities involved to 26 The RAP PLUS program introduced in Edmonton

and Calgary

1997 1998 1999

The evening is the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP)

Scholarship Celebration, one of many annual events hosted by

CAREERS: the Next Generation. The RAP Scholarship Dinner

recognizes the successes of apprentices who’ve come up through

the high school RAP program.

The RAP is one of the most visible programs operated by the

organization. Last year, 1,095 RAP student interns were placed

at companies around Alberta. Yet the RAP is only a part of what

CAREERS does. In 2011, CAREERS placed a total 1,514 student

interns in a wide variety of disciplines including healthcare,

power engineering, oil and gas fi eld production operator and

dozens of red seal trades. Last year, CAREERS had programming

in 511 schools in 288 communities across the province and

a whopping 32,709 students took part in the organization’s

student participant workshops. The impressive numbers are a

15-year culmination of passion and dedication that brings to life

the cliché that children are our future.

Start From ScratchThe story of CAREERS begins in 1989, years before its launch as

an offi cial not-for-profi t in 1997. Eric Newell, former Chair and

CEO of Syncrude, former Chancellor Emeritus of the University

of Alberta, and holder of a long list of board postings, founded

CAREERS during the early years of his tenure at Syncrude.

The economy of 1989 was diff erent than that of today. The

current oil sands were a plan, not a reality, in an era when a barrel

of light sweet crude was $23.43 (non-adjusted for infl ation).

Coming off of the recession of the early-1980s, with the economic

downturn of the ’90s approaching, the baby boomer demo-

graphic was relatively secure, but the following generation faced

career-related uncertainty.

Newell sat on the education committee of the Alberta

Chamber of Resources and was struck by the dismal oil and gas

sector employment reality for youth at the time. The average

age of a fi rst-year apprentice was 27. The average age of a skilled

person in the patch was 47, in the oil sands that average age was

in the 50s.

“Back then, youth unemployment was the biggest issue of the

day,” says Newell.

There was a real disconnect between young people and

great careers that demanded high skills and delivered a great

paycheque. To complicate the matter, Newell could also see a

knowledge economy approaching.

“Young people were viewing the trades as a last resort. That

was quite devastating for me at Syncrude. How could we get the oil

sands going without workers? We saw the shortage at that time.”

The starting place to meet the need for a skilled workforce

was not self-evident. Newell began working with the Alberta

Chamber of Resources on several diff erent initiatives. CAREERS

evolved from those fi rst eff orts to engage people in preparing for

the predicted shortfall in the trades.

Create PartnershipsEducation, at grassroots, middle management and provincial

policy levels became one of the primary partners of CAREERS,

and the main avenue for it to reach youth on the cusp of making

serious decisions about their future.

How relationships were developed with the education com-

munity illustrates Newell’s two-part philosophy for carrying out

a plan. “I am a great believer that you’ve got to have senior people

sitting at the top on the policy side,” says Newell. “Then if you are

going to make change, do it right on the ground.”

In the beginning years, CAREERS seconded senior staff

members from industry and education and approached

www.nextgen.orgCAREERS: THE NEXT GENERATION12

I think that CAREERS is well prepared to meet technological advancements within the workplace. By having a partnership between education and industry, each sector can easily provide feedback and update the other on advances in technology. I see CAREERS as the conduit for information sharing between the two sectors.David Morhart, CAREERS board member; Deputy Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 12 10/1/12 2:44:08 PM

Partnered in establishing two community mobilization models in Fort McMurray and Medicine Hat

Implemented two career path partnerships: pipe� tter/steam� tter path; a technician and mentorship model for RAP

Second conference held: Explore the Opportunities – Share the Rewards

Partnership with Alberta Health and Wellness formed in all 17 Health Regions within Alberta, became known as the CAREERS Health Services Youth Initiative

Introduced Aboriginal Youth Initiative as a three-year pilot program

Health and Wellness formed in all 17 Health Regions within Alberta, became known as the CAREERS Health Services Youth Initiative

Initiative as a three-year pilot program

2000 2001 2002

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community representatives to fi nd out their priorities and

issues. Working closely with the education system, CAREERS

launched pilot projects. Newell and a small group of volunteers

approached provincial education decision-makers with the

goal of working with policy leaders to bring Alberta’s education

system to the top of the global list. Their concerns resonated.

In 1992, Alberta’s education system had some room for

improvement, especially in science and math. Tireless eff orts

on the part of dedicated educators produced measureable gains

within a decade.

Build on What WorksIn a 1992 Fort McMurray-based endeavor, Keyano College with

the help of volunteer Jim Carter (also a former CEO of Syncrude)

developed CAREERS Co-op Apprenticeship model. Today the

Co-op Apprenticeship program works with youth who have

graduated from high school and are looking to complete their four years of post-secondary in a

trade. It was inspirational for the RAP, which works with high school youth to explore a career

option and start their apprenticeship early.

The Co-op Apprenticeship was the fi rst major program of CAREERS and was its true starting

point, culminating in a two-year pilot project initiated in 1995. “Jim and I said, ‘Why don’t we get

KYLE GRANDISON, Diversified Transportation.


What we found as we continued to expand into communities is if you show kids opportunities, there is no doubt they will engage.

Janet Riopel, former CEO of CAREERS

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 13 9/28/12 3:16:00 PM

2003 2004 2005

Renewed the CAREERS Health Services Initiative Aboriginal Youth Initiative received strong

new support and three-year renewal Signed a Memorandum of Agreement with

Chinook Regional Career Transitions for youth to undertake joint program initiatives

New industry partnerships include: Finning Canada, Edmonton Motor Dealers’ Association, Shell Scotford, City of Edmonton and West Edmonton Mall

Partnered with the construction industry and integrated and marketed the Trade Up CD-ROM in classroom presentations

Joined with industry partners to introduce an oil and gas Production Field Operator model for Aboriginal high school youth

some people together?’ The goal was to fi gure out how to take it

across the province,” Newell says.

By 1997, 13 communities were engaged and CAREERS

incorporated.

“It was very diffi cult at the time and you shouldn’t take the

idea we were brilliant visionaries on our own,” says Newell. Many

people gave countless hours to the cause.

Carter became a CAREERS board member when he retired

from Syncrude in 2007. He recalls the starting point of the

Co-op Apprenticeship. “At the time there weren’t a whole lot

of opportunities in Fort McMurray. We were trying to get the

workforce right-sized.”

The idea behind the program was simple: give kids an

opportunity to try a trade at local companies, with no guarantee

of a job off er at the end of the placement.

“Turns out that at the end of apprenticeships, the kids got

job off ers,” says Carter. More than 900 young people have gone

through that program since those early successes in the 1990s.

Carter believes that, in 2012, CAREERS is still a part of the

workforce equation in a world moving at an ever-faster pace.

“For one thing, it is getting a lot more complicated for young

people to choose a career. CAREERS does a good job of identify-

ing future job opportunities.”

David Morhart, Alberta’s Deputy Minister for the Ministry

of Enterprise and Advanced Education, brings his institutional perspective of the program to his post as a Director on the

CAREERS board. CAREERS shifts the traditional order of the

steps a young person can take from high school to post-second-

ary. It’s working, according to Morhart. “CAREERS is important

because it helps young Albertans build the necessary skills

for today’s working environment. It provides students with a

pathway to career success by linking workplace opportunities

with classroom learning.”

The pool of talent generated through CAREERS benefi ts

industry specifi cally and Alberta’s workforce generally. The

results achieved by CAREERS are part of life in the province.

“The eff orts made by CAREERS to promote trades and

technology occupations as fi rst-rate career options and to raise

awareness of the RAP will help the province respond better to

skilled labour shortages,” Morhart says.

In many senses CAREERS is a stay-in-school program. We are creating that relevance in education. I am never anti-university. A skilled tradesperson today has the training equal to two years of university. Improving our educational outcomes is the best source for a skilled workforce and a great way to upgrade the

standard of living and quality of life for people. The answer isn’t that everybody go to university, the answer is to � nd out what people are passionate about.Eric Newell, Founder and Chair of CAREERS: the Next Generation

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JESSICA POIRIER, Shell Canada’s Scotford Refinery.

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 14 9/28/12 3:13:56 PM

2006 2007 2008

Health Services Initiative saw career placements o� ered to 422 internship students from emergency medicine to diagnostic imaging

98 Aboriginal youth participated as summer interns in the RAP, Health Services and Field Operator programs

CAREERS joined forces with Central Alberta Career Prep to enhance career opportunities in the Red Deer area

CAREERS commenced developmental work to introduce a high school Power Engineering Program Model

“We had an amazing track record,” recalls Riopel. “We were able to grow and expand because

of that track record and became a much larger entity.”

Many of the dominant themes of today’s Alberta workforce were apparent in 2001. Riopel

remembers the time as “pivotal.” Industry and education leaders were engaging with the con-

cept of labour shortages, and extensive training for the trades was becoming more formalized.

CAREERS responded to that reality.

“We had a strong, engaged, powerful board,” Riopel says. “We had a lot of support and

encouragement to grow the organization.”

Riopel built a business case for the CAREERS model and set out to the boardrooms and

offi ces of Alberta to explain the benefi ts CAREERS brought to the table. Part of the task was to

secure revenue streams to match the new funding models and gain support from industry and

government.

“It was not just about money,” Riopel says. “It was about allowing the opportunity for the

apprenticeship. We gave companies young people who were motivated to come in and look at an

opportunity and, if they stayed, they helped the culture of an organization.” And nothing beats

Consolidate Your GainsIf CAREERS is having a lasting province-wide impact, it’s

because it was built on solid foundations. Janet Riopel was CEO

of CAREERS from 2001 to 2006. She started at a time when

CAREERS was in transition from a sponsored organization to a

much larger organization with steady streams of funding from

multiple sources.

In 1997, when CAREERS became a foundation, Newell priced

a seat on the board at $100,000. The plan was to have capital

from major stakeholders and industry players while working

with smaller companies to provide apprenticeship placements.

The funding model was diffi cult to maintain and early on, the

group considered alternative models. Despite the funding

growing pains, Riopel was able to rely on the success of the

programming to speak for itself.

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BRAYDEN DEMAN, Dynamic Industrial Solutions.

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 15 10/1/12 2:46:15 PM

Canadian NaturalResources Limited

is proud to supportthe 2012 Oilsands

Celebration Banquet.

We’d like to congratulate CAREERS: The Next Generation

for its valuable workand send our best wishes for

a very happy 15th anniversary!

www.cnrl.com

CNRL_Careers_OSB2012 - 1/2H_Layout 1 12-07-30 2:21 PM Page 1

CAREERS joined Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to connect with students, partners and communities

Supported by industry and education, CAREERS introduced two new high school programs: Health Care Aide Program and 4th Class Power Engineer Model

The CAREERS Aboriginal Team addressed 3,173 Aboriginal youth in school career workshops and an additional 4,548 in career fairs

CAREERS expanded into Grande Prairie. The Regional Municipality of Wood Bu� alo

Advisory Committee is formed

learning centres across the province and its apprentices can start on their career while they’re

still in high school. All fi nish the formal part of their trades training in a post-secondary

environment.

Get InvolvedDoug Golosky is an entrepreneur and businessman in Fort McMurray who owns the Golosky

Group of Companies. Golosky has been a Board Director of CAREERS since its early days. As

someone who has always taken an interest in training young people, Golosky says the mission

of CAREERS is vital. “The need to train young people never stops,” he says.

Golosky has volunteered on the board of CAREERS for so long, he can see the trajectory

of the organization as it aligns with the needs of employers and communities. Health care,

2009 2010 2011

youthful enthusiasm. Bringing in students who soaked up the

workplace culture and replicated good work habits was “magic”

for employers, says Riopel.

The next step for the growth of CAREERS was to get students,

parents, teachers and employers out in front of the public so they

could tell their story in their communities. To listen to people

who are involved in CAREERS tell their stories is often like

listening to the very best motivational speakers. CAREERS off ers

benefi ts to people beyond numbers, lifetime decisions are given

a head start.

CAREERS has working relationships with post-secondary

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 16 9/28/12 3:14:24 PM

Visit us at: cleanharbors.com/locations/Canada.html

The Future Starts Here

E N V I R O N M E N T A L , E N E R G Y & I N D U S T R I A L

Clean Harbors is proud to sponsor the

Oilsands Banquet 2012and this year’s honoree:

CAREERS: the Next Generation15th Anniversary

Thanks to organizations such as CAREERS: the NextGeneration, we all can work together to develop more workforce options for local youth in our oilsands community. And create a better, brighter future.

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WAIWARD STEEL_Careers_OSB2012 - 1-3SQ_Layout 1 12-08-28 8:43 PM Page 1

The annual publication of the Oilsands Banquet

industry, engaging every community in the province –

each is an area where Golosky sees progress. “Every

area is important to us. We keep plugging along, trying

to get to all the schools, get industry more involved, get

government interested. We’re very fortunate to have

people who are dead serious about what they’re doing,

but it takes time to implement.”

It has been five years since John Evans began

commuting to Fort McMurray from Halifax. By 2009, he

and his family became year-round residents of Alberta.

Evans, who strives to be a part of his community,

found CAREERS. Evans is President of UBS Canada, a

structural steel and access platform company. He got his

start in scaffolding. He is also the Chair of the Regional

Municipality of Wood Buffalo CAREERS Advisory Group.

“As I began to understand what CAREERS did, it was

easy to start volunteering more time,” says Evans.

The great strength of CAREERS is its ability to

“speed-up” the journey for young people. Companies

benefit from passionate employees and youth who

will enter the workforce quickly with the skills and

enthusiasm.

“Tradespeople who become experts and take on new

skills – they take on an entirely new role in the company

and community,” says Evans.

The Three WinsThe potential numbers Newell envisions for CAREERS

are ambitious. In the context of the program’s past suc-

cesses, they are likely to come true. CAREERS currently

reaches about 70,000 young people per year through

events, career fairs, in-school workshops and online

initiatives. The organization has a staff of 35 and strong

top-tier volunteer support. “The vision longer term is

to reach 100 per cent of youth,” says Newell. “We have

1,000 employers, why not 10,000? We would like to see

the number of employers triple in the coming years.”

The group is seeking and developing partnerships

with Aboriginal communities and leaders. Aboriginal

people in Alberta are an untapped part of the workforce

with tremendous potential for success.

In the interim, CAREERS focuses on three wins, says

Newell. “We want a win for the student, the business

community, and the community at large.”

CAREERS hosts several events each year to celebrate

its partners, donors and students. While the return

on investment for companies is outstanding and the

beneficial impact on communities is huge, the best

reflection of the three wins is seen in the faces of

students. When a CAREERS student stands up to tell his

or her story of completing an apprenticeship and going

on to become a valued member of their chosen company

and community, everybody wins.

Careers_2012_p10-17.indd 17 9/28/12 3:14:27 PM


THE NEW SCHOOL: Lynda Cachia (L), Off-Campus Co-ordinator at

Father Patrick Mercredi Community High School in Fort McMurray,

has witnessed generations of CAREERS students. Former CAREERS

RAP intern Brian Rankin (far right) now owns Valiant Mechanical

Group and is an active employer participant in the RAP. Dylan Nash

(R) is a current RAP apprentice at Valiant.


Careers_2012_p18-21.indd 18 9/28/12 3:08:19 PM

Education AdvantageCAREERS transforms the future for high school students with programs that challenge and inspire

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth • Photography by Greg Halinda

he programs o� ered by CAREERS: the NextGeneration make a huge diff erence for post-secondary

students, but the organization often makes its greatest

impact at the high school level. Through camps,

presentations and, perhaps most dramatically, internship and

apprenticeship programs, CAREERS has helped steer countless

high school students towards satisfying and lucrative careers.

Fort McMurray educators in both public and separate

school districts have high praise for the CAREERS programs

and many say that catching students at an early age helps

T young people secure meaningful employment, often as soon

as they graduate. Fort McMurray Catholic Board of Educa-

tion Superintendent Kim Jenkins is a strong proponent of

CAREERS. He fi rmly believes that many of his students would

be fl oundering well into their early 20s if CAREERS was not

available to get them on the right track.

“CAREERS moves apprenticeships and technology down

one level to high school and changes the mindset that it’s in the

colleges where that kind of education begins. To be honest, the

colleges are where it kind of fi nishes,” Jenkins says.


EDUCATION

Careers_2012_p18-21.indd 19 9/28/12 3:08:38 PM

“CAREERS knows that to increase the skilled workforce

in trades and technologies in this province, we’ve got to turn

kids onto them in high school. We can’t wait until university or

college because it’s too big of a delay.”

The CAREERS program works particularly well for high

school students in two ways. First off , the organization can

open students’ eyes to the kinds of jobs that are available in the

province. CAREERS presentations counter the common belief

among some students that their options are limited to either

traditional professions that require a university degree or lower-

paying unskilled labour jobs. In CAREERS, they can learn about

a wide breadth of health service, engineering technology, and

trades-based vocations. These students may try out diff erent

internships to get a feel for what they might like to study once

they graduate and move onto a post-secondary education.

“We all think when we’re grown up we’re going to be a nurse,

doctor, lawyer or teacher,” Jenkins says. “But there’s a whole

fi eld of trades and technology opportunities for smart kids who

don’t necessarily want to take the doctor route.”

Other groups of students who benefi t from the CAREERS

programs, include those who enrol in a Registered Apprentice-

ship Program (RAP) in high school. They work toward certifi ca-

tion in their chosen technical

career path like 4th Class Power

Engineering, sometimes earning

their tickets right after high school

graduation. These programs

require tremendous focus and

dedication from students, and

that shift in mindset can spark a

student’s motivation in ways that

traditional classroom instruction

might not.

Dennis Parsons, Superin-

tendent of Fort McMurray’s

Public School District, says that the RAP placements can

give students the kind of hands-on training that appeals to

their individual learning styles and allows them to begin to

envision their future success.

“Experience shows that some students need that practical

attachment, they need to be able to see that connection, that

purpose of where their studies are leading them. For the

type of student who needs that immediacy and that contact,

the program certainly focuses them, gives them a goal, and

allows them to get the practical experience early. It helps to

chart a pathway.”

Lynda Cachia, Off -Campus Co-ordinator at Father Patrick

Mercredi High School in Fort McMurray, agrees. She works

directly with the RAP students and has seen many of them

transform their work ethic and attitude towards education

over the duration of their work placements.

“The RAP program is probably the most drastic in terms of

its impact on the students just because it requires such a great

deal of time,” Cachia says. “Generally it’s really fun to see

a Grade 11 student go out into the fi eld and work in an adult

world for six months and then when they come back it’s like

they’ve grown up by two years because of the exposure and

the opportunity. They seem so much older and they are so

much more focused on school.”

A good apprenticeship experience is contingent on being

placed in a company fi lled with experienced and professional

employees who are willing to serve as mentors to teenage

apprentices. While some businesses may be skeptical about

the prospect of working with students, one of the strengths

of CAREERS has been its ability to partner with some of the

Alberta’s biggest companies. Companies benefi t because they

usually get the opportunity to hire the cream of the crop upon

graduation. Students win because they get the opportunity

to work with employers like Suncor, Syncrude, Shell, CNRL,

Enbridge, and hundreds of other companies, both big and

We all think when we’re grown up we’re going to be a nurse, doctor, lawyer, or teacher,” Kim Jenkins says. “But there’s a whole � eld of trade and technology opportunities for smart kids who don’t necessarily want to take the doctor route.


Careers_2012_p18-21.indd 20 9/28/12 3:09:04 PM

Spartan Controls_CAREERS_OSB2012 - 1/3SQ_Layout 1 12-09-25 9:46 AM Page 1

On July 23, 2012, we announced the proposed acquisition of our company by CNOOC Limited. Our hiring plans have not changed. We continue to recruit talented, high-performing individuals, and CNOOC intends to retain employees and will inherit Nexen’s remuneration and benefits packages.

By exploring and developing the most globally significant oil and gas basins,

Nexen Inc. delivers energy to the world. We also value another kind of energy

– the talent, passion and commitment of our employees. And we’re always

looking to the next generation to help us achieve more. People drive our

success and make Nexen a great place to work.

OUR ENERGY COMES FROM MANY SOURCES.

www.nexeninc.com

Congratulations to CAREERS – the Next Generation, on 15 years of helping set Alberta youth on the path to success.

ation and benefits pacemuners ren’’sit Nexinher and CNOOC intming individuals,orhigh-perf

ing plans ha Our hired.CNOOC Limite announced the prw12,,20On July 23,,

es.agkation and benefits pacetain emploo rends t and CNOOC int

e continue tWed.hange not cving plans haoposed acquisition of our compane announced the pr

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y y boposed acquisition of our compan

Nexen_CAREERS_OSB2012 - 1/3SQ_Layout 1 12-09-26 11:18 AM Page 1

small, in a wide array of industries.

“CAREERS brings industry to sit at the table and

they get to know the needs of industry,” Parsons

says. “That gets passed on to our campus co-ordina-

tors who can in turn pass it on to the students. So

you get a three-way partnership between CAREERS:

the Next Generation, the school system, and the

industry.”

This three-way partnership has done one

particularly extraordinary thing at Father

Patrick Mercredi Community High School in Fort

McMurray. Through joint efforts between the

Catholic School Board and oil sands corpora-

tions, the district constructed a $4-million

science and technology lab in the school where

students get training in electrical, millwright,

instrumentation, power engineering and other

assorted trades. Superintendent Jenkins stresses

that through its network of connections in the oil

industry, CAREERS was essential in getting the

lab facilities built.

What really matters in the end, however, is the

long-term success of the students, and the stories

are numerous from educators who tell about

students that struggled with classroom learning

only to excel at a trade after receiving hands-on

apprenticeship training or finding a career that

works for them through other CAREERS programs.

“I had a student in my classroom who was going

down the wrong path,” Laura MacEachen, an

Off-Campus Co-ordinator with the Public School

District in Fort McMurray, says of a student she

placed in a RAP program. “Nicest kid in the world,

but he was definitely getting in trouble with the

law. Keeping him with adults who work very hard

for their money made him a different person. It just

makes them mature. We have these shy boy-next-

door kind of guys who fly under the radar and then

they mature faster because they’re working with

adults they can model after.”

Cachia has seen similar results with many of her

students and feels particular pride when things

come full circle and alumni students step forward to

mentor versions of their former selves.

“I have a graduated RAP student from 2004 who

is now a journeyman who owns a business in town,”

Cachia says. “He is now employing one of my newest

RAP students. So we have students who have created

their own opportunities, created their own career,

and are coming back full circle and supporting the

program again because of what they got out of it.”

Most high schools use various tactics to keep kids

from falling through the cracks, and the programs

offered by CAREERS: the Next Generation are an

important part of that strategy.


Careers_2012_p18-21.indd 21 9/28/12 3:09:07 PM

© 2012 Halliburton. All rights reserved.

Solving challenges.™

Over the life of the well, extreme thermal conditions, zonal isolation, steam management and meeting production goals can pose heavy-duty challenges for any SAGD operation.

With more SAGD wells drilled in Canada than any other service company, Halliburton experts have been providing operators with complete heavy oil solutions—and unequalled customer commitment— for over 50 years.

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HALLIBURTON_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-08-29 3:04 PM Page 1

Careers_2012_p22-23.indd 22 9/28/12 3:04:43 PM


Solving challenges.™

Over the life of the well, extreme thermal conditions, zonal isolation, steam management and meeting production goals can pose heavy-duty challenges for any SAGD operation.

With more SAGD wells drilled in Canada than any other service company, Halliburton experts have been providing operators with complete heavy oil solutions—and unequalled customer commitment— for over 50 years.

What’s your heavy oil challenge? For solutions, contact [email protected]

Solving challenges


™.Solving challenges


HALLIBURTON_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-08-29 3:04 PM Page 1

AREERS: the Next Generation works with industry and education creating opportunities for youth to experi-

ence a trade and further their education in a structured

environment. The CAREERS Registered Apprenticeship

Program (RAP) is a joint initiative of the Alberta Apprenticeship

and Industry Training and Alberta Education. It allows students

to begin apprenticeship training in a trade while they are still

in high school. CAREERS matches student apprentices with

appropriate trades opportunities. RAP students earn a fair wage,

high school credit and hours toward their fi rst-year apprentice-

ship. In 2011, 1,095 CAREERS student interns participated.

The Co-op Apprenticeship training program was introduced

in Fort McMurray and Medicine Hat as a solution to area skills

shortages and works with young people who have graduated from

high school. In 2011, 53 new student interns participated in the

program that aff ords them the opportunity to gain up to four years

of apprenticeship training with local employers.

Within the programming, extraordinary relationships between

generations of skilled tradespeople fl ourish as students enter the

world of trades and journeymen devote time and eff ort to their

apprentices. Alberta’s companies are building the workforce of

tomorrow, one intern at a time.

C

Climbing HigherAtco Electric

Instrumental InspirationSyncrude

Jump-start TomorrowDiversi� ed Transportation

Team E� ortShell Canada

Forging the FutureDynamic Industrial Solutions

Theory into PracticeCenovus

Developing TalentSuncor

24 32 37 46

49 53 57

Leading the Next GenerationThe relationship between journeyman and apprentice is where the foundations of the future are built

Mentoring Success


Careers_2012_p22-23.indd 23 9/28/12 3:04:51 PM

ESTABLISHED PARTNERS: Ed Zaichowsky (L) and Jonnas Battig

(R) have been working together since Jonnas was a kid; the years

have seen a lasting work relationship develop.

Climbing Higher

hen Jonnas Battig started his Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), he was a Grade 10

student who knew he wasn’t interested in pursuing

a post-secondary degree or working for low pay in

an unskilled labour job. Even as a young teenager, Battig had the

foresight to know that if he worked hard enough he could pick up

a good trade and win a job with a large company by the time he

fi nished high school. CAREERS: the Next Generation placed Battig

as a power lineman apprentice at Atco Electric in 1997 and Battig is

still happily employed as a lineman by Atco some 15 years later.

W When Battig began apprenticing with Atco, the company had

gone through a years-long period during which it had not hired

many new linemen. This meant that young Battig was placed on

a crew of linemen who were substantially older than him. Battig

remembers the next youngest member of the crew being about 35

years old. Even with that age gap, the crew leader Ed Zaichkowsky

took the teen under his wing and patiently taught him the ins and

outs of the trade.

“As long as I was trying, they were good,” Battig says of his

crewmates. “I didn’t give them any attitude. So as long as they

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth • Photography by Rob Ganzeveld

One of the � rst CAREERS RAP apprentices is still happily at work with his original placement company, Atco Electric

Mentoring Success


Careers_2012_p24-25.indd 24 9/28/12 3:02:23 PM

It’s not really one person that teaches them,” Ed Zaichkowsky says. “It’s more like a family and we are a family. We spend eight hours a day with these guys. In some cases we spend more time with our fellow employees at work than our own spouses and families.

CORE COMPETENCE: Jonnas Battig has come a long way since

he first joined Atco Electric. Now he is a fully skilled member of

their team.

TRADES

could see that I was working and sweating, maybe I wasn’t shovel-

ling as much as a 30-year-old man would have, they were good.”

Battig continued to apprentice with Atco through to the end of

Grade 12. He says the greatest challenges that came with doing a

work placement came on the school side of the equation, not with

his lineman work. RAP students have to maintain good grades and

fulfi l all of the usual requirements to get a high school diploma and

Battig had to give up some extracurricular sports and typical teen-

age social activities because of his work commitments. Battig was

focused enough on his career that he knew that the sacrifi ces were

worth it because he was getting a jump-start on a viable career.

“Without the CAREERS program, I would not have gotten

hired on with Atco Electric,” Battig says. “There’s just such tough

competition for the apprenticeship positions, especially in larger

companies, and I honestly think that my route without going into

this trade probably would have been into the oil fi eld. There are a

lot of good careers in the oil fi eld, but I’m really happy with what I

have. The only reason I was able to get on, especially so young, was

because of the CAREERS program.”

When Atco Electric power lineman Ed Zaichkowsky took on the teenaged Jonnas Battig as a RAP student, it was the fi rst time

that the experienced tradesman had taken an apprentice under his

wing in at least a decade. Despite the extra time and consideration

it takes to bring an inexperienced teenager on crew, Zaichkowsky

didn’t mind the opportunity to share the trade that had already

become his life’s work.

“It’s a great career if you don’t mind a little bit of hard work

and sometimes you work in not very good circumstances,” says

Zaichkowsky. “In the end you get rewarded quite well and I think

that it’s an awesome career. You’re outside in the outdoors and

you’re enjoying yourself.”

Since Battig eventually was hired on full-time by Atco,

Zaichkowsky has had the opportunity to work with his former

apprentice as an adult. But back in 1997, Zaichkowsky remembers

Battig as a still-growing kid who was a little overwhelmed by the

physical work that comes with working on power lines.

“The dirt was pushing him around more than he was pushing

the dirt,” Zaichkowsky recalls with a chuckle. “At 16 there’s not

much to you, but the trade toughens you up. You kind of teach them

the right way and the wrong way to use a shovel, how to use your leg

muscles to help you shovel. We don’t tell them everything. They’re watching the rest of us work and

if they’re quick, which Jonnas was, they’re pretty quick to catch on.”

Zaichkowsky is hesitant to take full credit for mentoring his colleague. Zaichkowsky points out

that as with most trades, RAP lineman students learn from their entire crew. The entire crew has a

vested interest in training new recruits to work effi ciently and safely.

“It’s not really one person that teaches them,” Zaichkowsky says modestly. “It’s more like a

family and we are a family. We spend eight hours a day with these guys. In some cases we spend

more time with our fellow employees at work than our own spouses and families. It’s everybody in

that family on the crew that helped to mould that guy. I can’t take all the credit, because I am just

one small cog in the wheel that helped Jonnas get on his way.”


Careers_2012_p24-25.indd 25 9/28/12 3:02:36 PM

Careers_2012_p26-31.indd 26 9/28/12 3:00:48 PM


TEAM BUILDING: In a first-time effort, Cenovus hosted four power

engineering interns at Christina Lake this summer. James Fehr (centre back)

says the experience left the interns, (L to R, front) Darian Falewsky, Lance

Holowaty, Noah Brown and Dexter Tangonan, excited about the possibility

of working for Cenovus in the future.

Shared Passion

hen senior sta� and current board members of CAREERS: the Next Generation are asked

why they are involved with the foundation, the

same word is used again and again: passion.

Such devotion comes in many forms – for some it’s about a

desire to fi nish a job they started long ago, while others speak of

the pride they feel for the hard-working students who discover

W their life’s passion through CAREERS.

Whatever the case, it’s clear that committed people are a

driving force behind CAREERS, and such passion will continue

to play a part in the foundation’s future. Below, six senior staff

and current board members discuss their involvement with

CAREERS, including the highlights they have experienced and

the impact CAREERS has had on them.

By Cailynn Klingbeil

A committed group of sta� and board members at CAREERS is helping youth � nd a new life path


Careers_2012_p26-31.indd 27 10/1/12 3:03:33 PM

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

As Vice-President of Operations

at CAREERS, Alan Fisher is part

of a small executive team helping

the organization in its mission of

cultivating new skilled workers for

Alberta’s growing economy. He’s

been with CAREERS since September

2008 and previously worked in the

forestry industry for Alberta-Pacifi c

Forest Industries.

On the highlights of working with CAREERS

“The best days are the days when you see the light bulb come

on inside the young folks we’re speaking to and working with.

Sometimes it will be high school students who haven’t quite

fi gured out why they’re in school yet and are still not clear on

what their future holds beyond high school. It’s interesting going

in and speaking with them and being able to have them recognize

and realize the relevance of school and the opportunities that

there are down the road.”

On the impact CAREERS has had on him

“A very personal success story involves my son. In high school,

he wasn’t 100 per cent sure why he was taking the course he

was taking and didn’t see what the point was, but then he got

involved in the RAP program. It took him probably two weeks

during his internship and then the light bulb came on, and he

saw the link between what he was learning in school and how he

could apply that after high school. He graduated and is currently

looking to continue his apprenticeship.”

On the future of CAREERS

“I think the biggest thing is fi guring out how we continue to

move forward and continue to provide opportunities for young

folks, including looking at additional programs that we can

off er. It’s the same thing on the employer side, including going

out to industry and saying where do you see your next need and

then going forward and getting people involved with that at an

earlier age.”

In 1995 Mel Giles declared his intentions to retire from Syncrude,

where he was a General Manager. “I announced to my boss,

Eric Newell, that I was intending to take an early retirement

opportunity, and immediately the

conversation turned toward what I

was planning to do after I retired,”

Giles says. He’s been involved with

CAREERS in various capacities ever

since. Now, at age 71, Giles works

about 60 to 70 days a year as a resource

consultant, recruiting employers

and encouraging them to take young

students into the workforce.


“There have been many, many highlights. One was in March

1997 when we were declared a not-for-profi t foundation.

Another constant highlight is hearing young people speak at

our annual general meetings and at fundraising functions about

how CAREERS and RAP kept them in high school and helped put

them on a path to success. Those stories really stick with me.”


“I think speaking to young people has kept me young. I’m

challenged by their questions and every time I go into a school,

I thoroughly enjoy working with youth. I’m really passionate

about what we’re trying to do, and that is helping youth get

connected to a meaningful career at a young age. I also really

enjoy challenging employers to step up to the plate.”


“Hopefully CAREERS can become an integrated component of

our education system. We sit outside of the education system

today in the work we do in that we are not mandated to go into

these 500 high schools and do workshops, it’s by invitation only.

I would like to see the work that we do become formalized so

that we’re automatically in there, in every school, talking to

every junior and senior high school student.”

Alex Gordon, who worked at

Syncrude with Eric Newell, has been

involved with CAREERS since before

its inception. Gordon fondly recalls

travelling the province and speaking

to various community stakeholders

in 1989 about issues surrounding

skill development. That early work

led to a pilot project with schools and

employers to attract young people

into trades. Gordon is still involved

with the foundation today as a senior consultant.


“In the early days we started off small. We went around the

province talking and setting up diff erent programs, working with

employers to have partnerships for young people in trades. It was

Alan Fisher, Vice-President Operations, CAREERS

Mel Giles, Resource Consultant, CAREERS

Alex Gordon, Special Projects Co-ordinator, CAREERS

The thing that I’m most proud of seeing is the students up on stage talking about their experiences discovering a career. That’s what grounds us all and that’s why we’re all here. We love to see those kids up there speaking about how they discovered their passion. Andy Neigel, President and CEO, CAREERS


Careers_2012_p26-31.indd 28 9/28/12 3:01:02 PM

exciting and one of the greatest things that happened

was the development of the Registered Apprentice-

ship Program, or RAP. We started working with

schools to show students opportunities in trades

programs. In 1997, we started with 16 schools in 13

communities and had about 50 employers and 50 kids

involved. Last year the RAP was in over 500 schools

in the province with over 1,000 employers involved.”


“When you see a young man or lady getting their

ticket and they’re happy, they’ve found their niche

and what they love, that impacts me. It’s all about

finding something that you love to do and I think

that we’re helping people to find that.”


“We can do a lot more to attract youth to our existing

career pathways and to new career pathways where

there’s industry demand. We need to recruit more

employers to meet the needs and I think we can do

this by creating more partnerships. When you take a

look at Alberta, we are now engaging well over 1,000

employers and quite frankly, we should have 10,000

or more employers. There’s great potential.”

Miles Hunt, General

Manager of Edmonton-

based Lamarre Equipment

Inc., has been involved

with CAREERS since

2009. He knew fellow

board members through

business relationships and

friendships. Hunt says once

he became aware of the

work that CAREERS was doing to help young people, “it

was very easy to get excited about the great potential of

the organization.”


“What stands out most for me is the dedication of all the

people involved in CAREERS to the future of our com-

munities and our young people. There are a ton of very

bright people in the organization who are committed

to making sure that our province is able to continue to

grow and prosper in the future as it has in the past. The

positive attitude and optimism about the future that

exists within CAREERS is very contagious.”


“Every opportunity to participate on a board

brings with it the chance to work with a group of

Miles Hunt, CAREERS Board Member


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Careers_2012_p26-31.indd 29 10/1/12 2:53:00 PM

ahead of the curve in understanding where the demands are

going to be from an industry point of view and trying to engage

young people in those skill areas that will have skill shortages.

I think the future for CAREERS is going to be based on

getting a wider range of companies involved. It’s a case of

deepening and broadening the base of companies that are

involved and also strengthening the partnerships with some of

the other folks around the province who have a keen interest in

young people being successful.”

Jeff Hunter was so intrigued by

CAREERS as an organization, he started

with it part time four years ago. Two

years later, Hunter who is of full Cree

descent, was a full-time employee at

CAREERS. Hunter has a background

in power engineering and then went to

school in management and administra-

tion. He was working on the manage-

ment side of Kal-Tire store with the goal

of operating his own location one day,

when he decided to change directions with CAREERS.


“The concept of how the organization operates really attracted

me, it is simple, it is focused and it works. The whole process of

CAREERS from engaging with the student to working with the

employer is appealing. The best moment is when the student fi nds

their interest, gets excited and shows enthusiasm, which is the

main part. I think we have gained a lot of momentum within First

Nations communities. It is about giving ownership to students in

those communities about their career, their life, and their choices.”

On the impact of CAREERS has had on him

“Once you establish connections with teachers, schools,

employers and students, it takes on a life of its own. When you

have those relationships established, it creates unity, everyone

involved is striving for the success of the student. When I go

into First Nation communities, some have never come out to

participate in a career fair before. With CAREERS it is great

to see them come out and get hands-on and involved with the

possibilities of what kids can do with their own career.”


“A lot of partnerships are being established, we are on the same

page and share the same passions as many of the communities

we work with. Some First Nations communities are a little bit

hesitant, but we are getting there, the trust is building. I think we

can agree that the kids should receive 100 per cent support. If a kid

shows interest in a career, then our goal is 100 per cent success.”

The Regional Director, Fort McMurray for CAREERS, Janis

Lawrence-Harper, was very familiar with the organization

people who have diverse experiences and backgrounds. It is an

excellent environment in which to bring forward your ideas

and experiences, and also to take away new ideas that may be of

benefi t to you or your company.

Also, I believe that being a part of an organization that has

such a large impact on youth and communities allows us to step

outside our day-to-day activities and gain a larger perspective

on the world around us.”


“From my perspective, I see the organization continuing to inno-

vate and adapt to ensure that our objectives are in alignment with

those of our stakeholders. Engaging our youth, educational institu-

tions, employers, communities, and government in meaningful

discussions about needs and opportunities is key to ensuring that

we bring our next generation of contributors together with the vast

array of opportunities which are available to them.”

As Deputy Minister of Aboriginal

Relations with the Government of

Alberta, Bill Werry serves on the

Board of Directors for CAREERS.

Werry has been on the board for

two years and his involvement

began when he was invited to join

while Deputy Minister of Advanced

Education and Technology.


“It has been compelling having an opportunity to sit on the

board and hear the individual success stories from young

people who have been through the programs. They have had an

opportunity to move quickly into an employment situation and

gain a measure of independence. We’ve also had an opportunity

to see the overall numbers that CAREERS is able to generate in

terms of connecting young people to the trades at an early age

and giving them and opportunity to get a jump-start on their

careers. It’s been very encouraging.”


“It has been a great opportunity to see the role that industry plays

in helping to develop people. The willingness of the companies who

step up and off er to have students on their worksite is absolutely

critical to the success of the program. As government, we have a

role to play and industry also has a strong role to play in creating

those development opportunities. Obviously there’s some

benefi t to the industry players that get involved, but there’s also

a real sense of companies stepping up and accepting some social

responsibility for ensuring that the young people get a start.”


“We’re very optimistic about some of the targeting initiatives

CAREERS is starting to undertake. CAREERS is trying to get

Je� Hunter, Aboriginal Field Director, CAREERS

Bill Werry, CAREERS Board Member


Careers_2012_p26-31.indd 30 9/28/12 3:01:10 PM

when she stepped into

her new role in June.

Previously Lawrence-

Harper was the Associate

Dean of Continuing

Education at Keyano

College and she had seen

the impact of CAREERS

on the lives of many

young people in Fort

McMurray.


“One of the biggest highlights for me is to see con-

cerned citizenry in action. The amount of caring and

concern people in Fort McMurray have for each other is

enormous and CAREERS is one part of that. Through

CAREERS you can watch and see how companies value

their people, employees and community.

One example that stands out to me is a youth who

has gone through the RAP and COOP programs

and has now put together a scholarship. It is totally

impressive to see citizenship in action, to see a youth

at the age of 23 create a scholarship for others to follow

in his footsteps. You just don t see that very often.”

On the impact of CAREERs has had on her

“I have only been with CAREERS for a short time. One

thing that I have noticed is the work that happens in

the schools. The schools have an amazing and strong

backbone in terms of their Off Campus Co-ordinators

who work directly with students to prepare them for

their internship and then support them through their

experience. Mentors who share that same passion

for youth success have also impressed me. Their

enthusiasm and desire to give the youth a chance at

hands on experience is inspiring.


“I can see enormous opportunities for CAREERS.

CAREERS’ role will expand to coordinate a broader

network of programs, employers, schools, and

youth. In talking to employers, they are on board

with the concept of mentorship and looking for

ways to be involved. There are opportunities for

CAREERS to branch out and look at different

career pathways. Right now the community knows

primarily the apprenticeship and health services

programs, but there are so many other opportuni-

ties that students hope to see. Ultimately CAREERS

expansion will connect everyday experience to

youth perception and give youth an enlightened,

open choice about their future.”

Janis Lawrence- HarperRegional Director, Fort McMurray, CAREERS


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SMILE ON SITE: Danielle Kirkwood found her passion as an

instrumentation technician apprentice at Syncrude.

Instrumental Inspiration

Mentoring Success

n 2008, Danielle Kirkwood � nished high school and decided to pursue her goal of becoming a nurse. Unfortu-

nately, once Kirkwood started studying nursing, she quickly

realized the vocation was simply not for her. After consulting

with her father, who works at Syncrude, Kirkwood decided to

give the instrumentation trade a try. She enrolled at NAIT and

I entered a Co-op Apprenticeship program through CAREERS: the

Next Generation. Kirkwood is now in her third year of school and

entering her third instrumentation apprenticeship.

“I went into nursing and it totally was not me. I was not

motivated at school because I didn’t fi nd it interesting,” Kirkwood

says. “When I went into instrumentation, I totally went in with an

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth • Photography by Greg Halinda

An instrumentation apprentice and journeyman overcome their age gap to build a working relationship at Syncrude


Careers_2012_p32-33.indd 32 9/28/12 2:57:33 PM

A veteran journeyman with over 40 years of experience, Richard Sokoloski has made it his personal mission to work with young interns to pass on the ins and outs of his trade.

TRUE TEAMWORK: Richard Sokoloski (L) and Danielle Kirkwood

(R) made the effort to work together with excellent results.

TRADES

open mind and wasn’t really sure what to expect. Now that I’m in

it, I absolutely love it. I wish I knew at the beginning what I wanted

to do, but now I know that this is where I’m supposed to be.”

For her fi rst year apprenticeship at Syncrude, Kirkwood

was paired with Richard Sokoloski, a journeyman with over 40

years of experience. Despite the gap in their ages, Kirkwood was

impressed with how enthusiastic Sokoloski was to work with her

and how comfortable he made her feel out in the fi eld.

“When Richard and I fi rst got together we sat down and he

explained to me the basics of instrumentation,” Kirkwood says.

“He had so much patience with me and with the questions I asked.

He answered or if he didn’t know he found out for me. Richard

was one of the best journeymen I had as far as making me

feel comfortable goes.”

Kirkwood is excited about the many paths that her instru-

mentation skills could possibly take her and thankful for the

opportunity the apprenticeship program has given her to practice

her trade. She credits Sokoloski’s enthusiasm and patience for

helping her choose a career that will hopefully last her a lifetime.

“Obviously there are a lot of things about your trade in the

fi rst year you don’t understand because you haven’t been to

school yet. You don’t know the terms they use and it’s sort of

diffi cult to keep up with the job not knowing too much about it.

And that’s the thing that drives me to learn. I want to go out to

my job and not just be the apprentice, but to be a partner and help

my mentor out,” Kirkwood says.

When it came time to place co-op apprentice Danielle Kirkwood with her fi rst mentor at Syncrude, Richard Sokoloski

was the fi rst member of the instrumentation team to volunteer

to take her on. A veteran journeyman with over 40 years of

experience, Sokoloski has made it his personal mission to work

with young interns to pass on the ins and outs of his trade.

“These apprentices are my passion,” Sokoloski says. “I’m

retiring and I’m trying to pass on as much as I can because I’m

also an electrician as well as an instrument tech.”

Sokoloski was particularly keen to work with Kirkwood

because he had been hired on at Syncrude six years ago at the

same time Kirkwood’s father, who is a pipefi tter by trade. As the

father of two adult daughters, Sokoloski says that he has a soft

spot for working with young women who make the choice to

apprentice in one of the trades. But regardless of his apprentices’

age or gender, Sokoloski says that he tries to put himself in his

charges’ shoes and do his best to make them feel comfortable.

“I’m the oldest fella here and they’ve been giving me all the new journeymen and the appren-

tices and I’d get them oriented,” Sokoloski says. “I try to tell them that we need them and they

do have worth and value. They feel at ease. There are a lot of older people here and some of the

younger people fi nd it hard fi tting in and I try to make them feel like part of the group. Because I

was there once and I know what it feels like.”

As he nears retirement, Sokoloski thinks that ultimately the most important thing he can do

is to pass his knowledge on to the next generation of journeymen at Syncrude and beyond. The

pride in his voice is undeniable when he speaks of Kirkwood and the other young apprentices that

he has mentored over the years.

“There’s a generation gap between me and my apprentices, but I see a lot of ambition and I

see a lot of good people coming through. These young kids are our future. Not just the future of

Syncrude and the other companies they’re working for, but Canada’s future. They’re going to be

the productive Canadian citizens who are going to take over the reins of this country. They’re

going to be steering this ship,” says Sokoloski.


Careers_2012_p32-33.indd 33 9/28/12 2:57:58 PM

WESTBRIERCOMMUNICATIONS INC

MEDIA SPONSOR EVENT ORGANIZER

SILVER

BRONZE

GOLD

PLATINUM

WWW.OILSANDSBANQUET.COM

DPS logo page_CAREERS_Layout 1 12-09-28 11:23 AM Page 1

Thank YouWe appreciate and value our partners and supporters

hank you to all of the sponsors who have made for a successful Oilsands Banquet 2012. Embracing

a common theme is a good reason to come together.

It is a wonderful opportunity to network and to

strengthen our relationships. In unity we celebrate our many

achievements together.

Only in Fort McMurray and the RMWB! Have you heard this

before? Frequently. CAREERS is touched by all who have

supported us during our 15 years of career path work with

youth. The partnership endorsements of industry, education,

government and community herald a chorus of success stories.

Youth career path success. Strengthened business certainty.

Increased community economic competitiveness. It is a triple

crown. Win! Win! Win!

Youth career path success. We often refl ect on terms like:

Smart Kids. Smart Employers. Smart Workplaces. A mainstay

goal is to grow a future talent pool of young, skilled workers

who can out-work, out-perform, and out-produce a world of

international competition. Since 1997 over 16,000 high school

interns have practiced in 10,000 employer worksites; many of

who now work as employees in Alberta’s top industry sectors,

own their own businesses, and are community leaders. This

has not happened by chance. It is because of you. Your invest-

ment in youth, through the CAREERS organization, is reaping

large investment returns in human capital. It is a future worth

working for.

We are happy to share the many stories of youth success, industry models, supportive mentors, teacher

advocates, outstanding partners, stakeholders, and the

CAREERS team. A very special note of gratitude to Westbrier

Communications and Venture Publishing for being marvelous

hosts and the producers of a world-class commemorative

public-ation to showcase CAREERS: the Next Generation,

a made-in-Alberta story.T


JERRY HECKVice-President, Stakeholder Relations and Growth


JERRY HECK

Careers_2012_p34-35.indd 34 10/1/12 2:54:20 PM

WESTBRIERCOMMUNICATIONS INC

MEDIA SPONSOR EVENT ORGANIZER

SILVER

BRONZE

GOLD

PLATINUM

WWW.OILSANDSBANQUET.COM

DPS logo page_CAREERS_Layout 1 12-09-28 11:23 AM Page 1

Careers_2012_p34-35.indd 35 10/2/12 2:04:08 PM

CEDA International_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-04 2:17 PM Page 1

Careers_2012_p36-39.indd 36 9/28/12 2:35:55 PM

BUILDING CONTINUITY: Braden Starco (L) and Don Lawrence

(R) continue to work together year round as apprentices return to

school for the next level of training.

CEDA International_CAREERS_OSB2012 - FP_Layout 1 12-09-04 2:17 PM Page 1

TRADES

Team E� ort

essica Poirier was a fairly typical high school student. Like many, she had no idea what she wanted to do for

a living after graduation. In 2010, Shell Canada gave a

presentation at her school and some ideas about her future

suddenly clicked into place. Her father already had a career as a

millwright and the presentation made Poirier realize that she

might like to follow in her dad’s footsteps.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do, but it was just a great chance

to try millwright and if I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to keep doing

it. But I got hooked on the trade and here I am,” says Poirier.

J Through CAREERS: the Next Generation, Poirier took a Reg-

istered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) placement as a millwright

in Grade 11. RAP placed her at the University of Alberta. She then

took a second placement with Shell Canada for her Grade 12 year.

Poirier is now studying to be a millwright at NAIT and will be able

to skip through a year of classes because of the apprenticeship

hours she put in while in high school. Poirier was so successful

during her two RAP placements that she was granted the 2012

CAREERS Award of Excellence in the Skilled Trades.

At Shell, Poirier was paired with Braden Starco, a young

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth • Photography by Kelly Redinger

At Shell Canada’s Scotford Re� nery, CAREERS receives support from on-site leadership, former students and current interns

Mentoring Success


Careers_2012_p36-39.indd 37 9/28/12 2:36:21 PM

Both Braden Starco and Don Lawrence cite the program as being important not only for individual careers, but also to help instil proper technique and safety measures in the workplace. By producing stand-out apprenticeships and permanently hiring on the best of the bunch, Shell has been able to develop a tailor-made skilled workforce.

Hitting tHe books: Jessica Poirier has returned to NAIT for a

fall semester of training as a millwright.

journeyman who had completed his own RAP placement only a

few years to Poirier’s arrival. Poirier says that because Starco’s

memories of his own time as an apprentice were so fresh, he

made sure to make her feel comfortable throughout

her apprenticeship.

“I could relate to him more because he had just got out of

school himself,” Poirier says. “He was a RAP student before so

he understands what it’s like to start from scratch. Braden was

really helpful and never made me feel uncomfortable about

asking anything. ”

Poirier says it’s not common to see many women working as

millwrights, but it didn’t take very long before her co-workers

realized that being a young woman didn’t hinder her ability

to get the job done. She is well on her way to earning her trade

certification. Poirier is already looking forward to the day that

she can act as a mentor to a young apprentice.

“I love helping people and even now in school some people

don’t know as much as I know about certain things, so I can help

them with that. I was a RAP student, so knowing how hard it is

and how uncomfortable you feel when you first come in to the

trades, I’d definitely like to help out and be a mentor,” says Poirier.

Shell Canada’s Scotford Refinery takes on roughly six CAREERS RAP students every year and routinely hires the

students who excel during their apprenticeships. Don Lawrence

is a rotating equipment specialist who also oversees the RAP

placements at the refinery. After some cajoling from his super-

visor, he reluctantly took on the refinery’s first RAP student in

2004 and has since become a huge supporter of the program.

“When I thought of a young person, I thought of the

stereotype of young people — didn’t want to be here, safety

problems, that kind of stuff,” Lawrence says. “Since then, I’ve

met some very smart young people who, not unlike I was at that

age, just needed a gentle push in the right direction.”

Braden Starco was that kind of RAP student in 2006, and

was later hired on full time by Shell Canada as a millwright. He

found himself switching from student to mentor last year when

he guided Jessica Poirier through her RAP placement.

“For me, at first I was a little hesitant because I’m only a

second year journeyman, so I’m still learning too,” Starco says.

“But once I was given a RAP student, it was beneficial for me because I was trying to remember

and trying to reiterate the things I’d forgotten from schooling so I could try to teach it to Jes-

sica. It was kind of that teach-to-learn sort of theory where I was learning as I was teaching.”

Because Starco has recently been on both ends of the CAREERS RAP program, he can see

how important the program has been both to his own career and that of his apprentice. Both

Starco and Lawrence cite the program as being important not only for individual careers,

but also to help instil proper technique and safety measures in the workplace. By producing

stand-out apprenticeships and permanently hiring on the best of the bunch, Shell has been

able to develop a tailor-made skilled workforce.

“It’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. It’s funny because I adamantly said

I would not do it. But when I look back at the opportunity to have mentored as many people as I

have and seen them succeed, there’s nothing that makes me feel better,” Lawrence says.

Mentoring Success

www.nextgen.orgCaReeRS: the next generation38

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Attracting TalentA health sciences summer camp addresses the need for skilled labour in health care

By Cailynn Klingbeil • Photography by Eugene/3TEN photo

ore than 10 years ago, Loraine Andertonknew something had to be done about the

signifi cant shortage of health-care professionals.

In 1999, as Vice-President of Human Resources

for the Northern Lights Health Region, Anderton co-chaired a

human resources steering committee for health care in Alberta.

“We had to come up with creative ways of capturing and

producing a skilled, well-trained health-care workforce, to

have the right people in the right place at the right time,”

Anderton says. She lived in Fort McMurray and was familiar

with CAREERS: the Next Generation’s Registered Apprentice-

ship Program, and wondered if a similar program for health

care was possible.

CAREERS was receptive to Anderton’s idea and a proposal

was developed. Funding soon followed and in the summer of

2001, the program welcomed its fi rst health-care interns.

“It was so exciting to see high school students have

the opportunity for career exploration in the health-care

fi eld,” Anderton says. “It helped them make one of the most

important decisions they’ll make in their life, which is deciding

what to be when they grow up.”

The popular program had more applicants than spots and

CAREERS soon looked for other ways to expand the initative.

In 2004, a summer camp gave students the chance to test drive

a variety of health sciences programs and careers for one week

over their summer vacation.

“The summer camps are designed to provide young folks

exposure to diff erent careers in the health industry,” says Alan

Fisher, Vice-President of Operations at CAREERS. “There

M may be people thinking that this might be a good career path

for them, but before they consider applying for an internship

or doing some volunteer work, the camp provides them an

excellent opportunity to get a bit of exposure.”

While Anderton has since retired, CAREERS continues her

formative work. This summer, 49 participants attended the

Health Sciences Career Camp for students in Grades 9 through

12. The Edmonton-based program is a partnership between

Alberta Health Services, CAREERS, Convenant Health,

MacEwan University, NorQuest College and the University of

Alberta.

For her part, CAREERS named an annual award after

Anderton. The Loraine Anderton Award of Excellence in Health

Services recognizes an outstanding mentor and intern in

CAREERS’ health service internship program.

Anderton remains humble, and thankful of the work

CAREERS is accomplishing in addressing the demand for

skilled labour in health care – which is only set to increase as

Canada’s population ages. “It’s like a dream come true, to go

from struggling as an industry to meet our human resource

needs to come up with a home-grown Alberta solution that

gives young people throughout the province the opportunity

for meaningful career exploration,” Anderton says.

On the pages that follow, photographer Eugene Uhuad off ers

an inside look at CAREERS’ Health Sciences Career Camp. The

camp, held from August 13 to 16, 2012, off ered lab tours, hands-

on demonstrations and activities in order to take students

behind the scenes at local health-care facilities to discover the

hundreds of occupations in Alberta’s health-care sector.

HEALTH CARE AIDE

HOSPITAL UNIT CLERK

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTANT PRACTICAL NURSING THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SIMULATION LAB



Careers_2012_p40-45.indd 40 9/28/12 2:31:46 PM

HEALTH SERVICES

Attracting Talent HEALTH-CARE AIDE Health care aides are a critical component of the continuing care service delivery.

HOSPITAL UNIT CLERKThe hospital unit clerk is responsible for maintaining an orderly nursing station.


Careers_2012_p40-45.indd 41 10/1/12 2:56:59 PM

Pharmacy TechnicianAs of July1, 2011, pharmacy technicians were recognized as a regulated profession in Alberta.

Physical TheraPy assisTanT Physical therapy assistants provide direct support to clients recovering from illness and injury.

www.nextgen.orgcareers: the next generation42

Careers_2012_p40-45.indd 42 9/28/12 2:33:29 PM

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Proudly supporting Careers: The Next Generation

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Careers_2012_p40-45.indd 44 9/28/12 2:34:47 PM

Construction Labour Relations_CAREERS_OSB2012 - 1/3SQ_Layout 1 12-08-26 2:50 PM Page 1

Our congratulations to CAREERS: The Next Generation!

Thank you for bringing industry awareness to students in meaningful ways and for promoting our industry as a great place to pursue careers.

Gibson Energy is an innovative, solutions-based service provider that celebrates almost 60 years of operations in the oil and gas industry.

Gibson Energy_CAREERS_OSB2012 - 1/3SQ_Layout 1 12-09-27 10:51 AM Page 1


Careers_2012_p40-45.indd 45 9/28/12 2:35:02 PM

READY TO WORK: Kyle Grandison is in the CAREERS RAP as

a heavy duty technician apprentice and enjoying the fast start

on his career.

Jump-start Tomorrow

s an enthusiastic teenager interested in pursuing a

career in mechanics, Kyle Grandison couldn’t sign up

for the CAREERS Registered Apprenticeship Program

(RAP) quickly enough. Before he even started high

school the Fort McMurray resident knew that the RAP would

allow him to get his feet wet in a trade that he wanted to one day

make into a full-time job.

“I thought it would be a good way to get a jump-start into the

trades,” Grandison says, refl ecting on his eagerness even before

he was old enough to register for the program. “Once I fi nally got

A into a grade when I could start doing the program, I found out a

little bit more about it and I knew that it was for me.”

After he was eligible to offi cially sign up for the RAP, Grandison

was matched with mentor Curtis Richard at Diversifi ed Transpor-

tation. The company, based in Fort McMurray, has more than 215

technicians working on the shop fl oor. Heavy duty technicians at

Diversifi ed maintain and replace parts for more than 400 coaches

and long-haul buses that operate throughout Canada.

With so much action happening on the shop fl oor, and

despite his excitement to be getting an opportunity to learn

By Matt Hirji • Photography by Greg Halinda

Investing in youth creates long-term value for Diversi� ed Transportation and Fort McMurray

Mentoring Success


Careers_2012_p46-47.indd 46 10/1/12 2:59:04 PM

In the � ve months since his � rst day as a heavy duty technician apprentice at Diversi� ed, Kyle Grandison has gained a whole range of hands-on experience and practical knowledge that will provide a strong foundation for a continued career in the trade.

TEAM TRAINING: Curtis Richard is a CAREERS RAP mentor on the

shop floor at Diversified Transportation.

TRADES

about the trade, Grandison admits that his fi rst few shifts had

a fair share of jitters.

“When I fi rst started it was a little nerve-racking because

I was being asked to learn so much. But the guys on the fl oor

were always really nice and helpful. It’s turned out to be a great

experience, and I’ve learned a lot.”

In the fi ve months since his fi rst day as a heavy duty technician

apprentice at Diversifi ed, Grandison has gained a whole range of

hands-on experience and practical knowledge that will provide

a strong foundation for a continued career in the trade. With his

nerves out of the way, Grandison is confi dent that he made the

right choice to jump into the fi eld at a young age.

“It will make it easier when I get out of school because I

know that I won’t have to start out on a career in the trades as a

little runt at the bottom. I will actually have my hours to be an

apprentice coming out of high school,” Grandison says. “It’s just

a good way to get started.”

Dozens of CAREERS students have found their way to the shop fl oor at Diversifi ed. Each one of them is given the

opportunity to learn about the heavy duty technician trade under

the mentorship of experienced tradespeople. The CAREERS RAP

student interns are a welcome addition at the company.

“CAREERS establishes an interest in the trades while also

helping local people and the community,” says Howie Boyda,

Director of Maintenance at Diversifi ed. “The program encour-

ages local youth to get into the trades while also giving them a

chance to be a part the local economy.”

Partnering up with youth to foster a stronger sense of

community engagement with the local economy isn’t the only

benefi t for Diversifi ed, explains Boyda. The local economy in

Fort McMurray is in need of young workers to step into the

workforce as veteran employees begin to retire. It makes sense

for companies such as Diversifi ed to give students an insider’s

look at the industry and encourage them to start considering the

trades as a viable career path.

With the hot Fort McMurray economy, heavy duty technicians

and trades in general are looked at as a rare resource. “We have

to ensure that when our employees retire and leave the trades

that there is a well-established group of young workers going into

the trades to replace them,” Boyda says. “So these skills become

something that we have to invest in. It’s not a choice. We have to invest in it to ensure that we

have that resource moving forward in the future.”

Diversifi ed’s bustling shop fl oor works around the clock to maintain its fl eet of long-haul

buses and other vehicles. Boyda admits that there can be some struggles in bringing young

students into the fold.

“The mentor has his own lingo that he uses to repair stuff , so he has to teach the apprentice

everything from the vocabulary up to the actual functioning of the unit. You’re taking a

student who has general knowledge and then giving them very specifi c knowledge as it

pertains to vehicles.”

Despite the inherent challenges, every moment that is spent mentoring a young apprentice is

an investment in the future of the local community and its economy, says Boyda. “It’s worth the

extra eff ort. There is eff ort, but it doesn’t matter when you see these young students go on to have

a career in the trades.”


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REPEATING SUCCESS: Donovan Bellamy (L), a former CAREERS

RAP intern and owner of Dynamic Industrial Solutions, has come

back to CAREERS time and again for new apprentices, including

Brayden Deman (R).

TRADES

Forging the Future

t was during a high school shop class when Brayden Deman realized he had a knack for working with his hands.

He found great satisfaction in blueprinting designs, crafting

wood and creating durable products. Deman was particu-

larly adept at welding and manipulating metal. His shop teacher

encouraged the 16-year-old to consider a career in the fi eld.

In spite of his abilities, Deman was concerned that he wouldn’t

be able to get his foot in the door to become a career welder. Those

apprehensions lingered until he found out about the CAREERS

Registered Apprentice Program (RAP).

I “I knew that I had a talent for it, but I didn’t know how to get

started,” Deman says. “That’s when my teacher told me about the

RAP. At a young age like that it was good to know that there are

programs out there to help guide you in the right direction and

get you on the right path towards building a career for yourself.”

Within weeks of signing up as a CAREERS intern in the RAP,

Deman was matched up with Dynamic Industrial Solutions, a

welding and fabrication company in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

The pairing turned out to be a perfect fi t for Deman. The

company is owned by a former CAREERS RAP apprentice.

By Matt Hirji • Photography by Jeff Noon

Dynamic Industrial Solutions was founded by a CAREERS RAP student and brings in new interns every year

Mentoring Success


Careers_2012_p48-51.indd 49 9/28/12 2:21:40 PM

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Opening dOOrs: when Brayden Deman heard about CAREERS,

he knew it was the opportunity he had been looking for.

The shop floor was chock full of experienced welding journey-

men who were ready and willing to share their knowledge and

expertise about their profession.

“When I first started, I just started learning stuff from the

more veteran guys. They sort of took me under their wing,”

says Deman, who was hired on at Dynamic after completing his

apprenticeship. “I’ve learned lots of stuff over the past few years

and now I pretty much do everything myself. I don’t need help

from other people.”

Confidence in tow, Deman has gained a complete breadth of

important skills and developed a solid foundation for a successful

career as a professional welder. And he’s the first person to

explain that the RAP was integral to setting him up and putting

him on the right path.

“Things are really working out for me. Everything just fell into

place,” Deman says. “The program has got me to where I am now.

Before, I had no clue what I was doing or what job I would have in

the future. Now, I’m making money and I love my job.”

As a former CAREERS apprentice, Donovan Bellamy understands the importance of CAREERS for the young people

who are given the opportunity to get a head start on a career in

the trades.

“It set my career path. With doing CAREERS I moved through

my journeyman and into supervisor roles in facilities fairly

quickly,” Bellamy says. “It also gave me the opportunity to start

up my own company and grow a business. I had a jump to get

things going faster in my life. CAREERS put me down the road to

where I am today with owning my own business.”

As an owner of Dynamic Industrial Solutions, a welding and

heavy duty mechanical company in Medicine Hat, Bellamy is

the first to admit that the RAP has even more benefits for the

companies involved.

“With the lack of tradespeople in Alberta right now, we are

having a tough time hiring journeymen people. We need to bring

these young people in, we need to push them through CAREERS to

develop their skills, and show them that there is good work in the

trades. There are very good career opportunities for young people

in the trades and they can grow with the company. It’s important

that we have the tradespeople available to us when we need them.”

According to Bellamy, the partnership that his company and CAREERS has forged is benefi-

cial for everybody involved. CAREERS has the ability to send students to a trusted company. It

also provides an opportunity for Dynamic to bring in talented, enthusiastic students who have

expressed interest in the trades. These students can become long-term employees and a pivotal

part of the company’s workforce in the future.

“We’re actively involved in CAREERS. At any given time we have anywhere from three to six

students. It’s nice to see these guys stick with us. We train them the way we need to train them for

the industry. We have had some really good, successful kids come through the company who are

a part of the CAREERS program,” Bellamy says.

Along with all the success stories, partnering with the CAREERS program also gives Bellamy

the opportunity to give back to a program that allowed him the opportunity to achieve so many

of his goals in life.

“CAREERS is something that I’ve seen myself do and it’s one of the reasons why I am

successful today. Hopefully, these young kids that I mentor will go through the program and be

successful as well,” Bellamy says.

I knew that I had a talent for it, but I didn’t know how to get started,” Brayden Deman says. “That’s when my teacher told me about RAP. At a young age like that it was good to know that there are programs out there to help guide you in the right direction and get you on the right path towards building a career for yourself.

Mentoring Success

www.nextgen.orgCAREERS: the next generation50

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Careers_2012_p52-55.indd 52 9/28/12 2:20:10 PM

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: students spending time in camp at Christina

Lake this summer had an opportunity to see Cenovus’ operation in

a way few people ever will.

TRADES

Theory into Practice

efore Dexter Tangonan started his four-week CAREERS stint at the Cenovus steam-assisted gravity

drainage (SAGD) site in Christina Lake, Alberta, the

17-year-old felt like he had a fairly good grasp of what it

meant to be a power engineer.

Tangonan had, after all, been taking courses in high school

to learn the technical theory and science related to the fi eld.

He felt he knew the theory, but it wasn’t until he arrived at the

Cenovus site that Tangonan gained a true understanding of the

practical considerations that have to be taken into account as a

professional power engineer.

B “One of the most important things that I learned about is all

the safety precautions that you take when you are working on a

site,” Tangonan says. “I hadn’t really thought about the safety

aspects of power engineering until then. That’s one of the most

important things that they teach you at Cenovus; you have to do

things safely or you shouldn’t do it at all. So I learned how to be

responsible.”

Tangonan had quite a lot more to learn about power engineer-

ing. He needed the opportunity to bridge the gap between his

textbook knowledge and how a site, like the one in Christina

Lake, operates in practice.

By Matt Hirji

A four-week stint in camp at Christina Lake with Cenovus proves life-changing

Mentoring Success


Careers_2012_p52-55.indd 53 9/28/12 2:20:15 PM

clearwater-energy.ca.ca-energyclearwaterr-

I put them on the same shift that I was on so that they could experience what shift work was like. They had to experience living in camp and we tried to make the experience as realistic as possible, so that they could get a really good sense of what it’s like to be a power engineer in the field,” James Fehr says.

HigH point: James Fehr knows that by giving students on-site

training opportunities, students will have a head start on their

career, creating hiring opportunities for Cenovus.

“In school, when we study power engineering it’s all very

theoretical and it’s all books. Since the course is online, if you

don’t understand a concept there is very little chance to learn

about it in another way. By having that hands-on experience at a

site, it actually helps you learn about what the equipment does. I

found when I was at the site I was making connections to what I

had read in a textbook.”

With hands-on experience and real-world knowledge of

power engineering from Cenovus under his belt, Tangonan

feels confident that he’ll be able follow his father’s footsteps and

become a professional in the field. He is also resolved to one day

become a mentor to the next generation of power engineers that

will come after him.

“Ever since I was a kid I was always curious about what my

dad does and he’s always been my role model. Now I’ll be able to

be a power engineer just like he is. I’d like to pass on my knowledge

about power engineering to help younger people learn about it.

That way I’ll be able to help my community,” says Tangonan.

During a field trip of the Cenovus SAGD site in Christina Lake this summer, James Fehr, a long-time Cenovus employee

and a CAREERS mentor, led a group of apprentices to the top of

a boiler stack so that they could get an aerial view of the site that

produces more than 160,000 barrels of oil per day.

The trek to the top of the boiler stack was more than just a rare

chance at a bird’s-eye view of one of the most technologically

sophisticated industrial endeavours in northern Alberta. It was

an opportunity for a group of young, aspiring power engineers

to gain a unique perspective on how the plant comes together to

function as a cohesive whole.

“It gave them a window into the practical aspects of power-

engineering,” Fehr says of the high-altitude excursion. “What I

heard them say was that they did lots of studies in class, but they

needed to see the equipment and meet with the operators to truly

understand the trade.”

During their four weeks at Cenovus, Fehr gave the CAREERS

apprentices more than just an exclusive tour of the site. The

apprentices were given an up close and personal perspective on

the industry while learning about the intricacies of a complex

power engineering project. The students were given the chance

to match their classroom knowledge with on-site experiences.

“I put them on the same shift that I was on so that they could experience what shift work was

like. They had to experience living in camp and we tried to make the experience as realistic as

possible, so that they could get a really good sense of what it’s like to be a power engineer in the

field,” Fehr says.

It’s these experiences learning and working in the field that Fehr hopes will provide students

with the foundation for a successful career in power engineering. He may even see some of the

apprentices back at Christina Lakes as his co-workers.

“Cenovus is really looking for long-term, dedicated employees that are well-trained from the

ground up. The industry is expanding so rapidly and we feel that students can get a head start on

a career if they start learning about the trade early. The way things are going, we are hiring all the

time. It’s good to have keen students gain a lot of training; that will take them a long way. And the

students were excited at the prospect of working here in the future,” Fehr says.

true experience: the team at Christina Lake worked with the

student interns to make the camp experience as realistic as possible.

Mentoring Success

www.nextgen.orgCAreerS: the next generation54

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clearwater-energy.ca.ca-energyclearwaterr-

Careers_2012_p52-55.indd 55 9/28/12 2:20:23 PM

At Enbridge we understand that a better tomorrow starts today. By creating opportunity for youth we’re helping to strengthen our communities and ensure prosperity for generations to come. That’s why over the past 10 years Enbridge has pledged nearly $100,000 to the CAREERS program to help create an educated, experienced and capable workforce. To that end, we’ve committed funding for an apprenticeship program that allows Canadian youth the chance to gain invaluable workplace experience. In fact this year, two students from Father Patrick Mercredi High School in Fort McMurray were selected for the program.

At Enbridge, we’re delivering more than energy. We’re delivering on our promise to help create a world of possibility for future generations.

FIND OUT MORE

Enbridge.com

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GEARED UP: Shea Goodwin goes to work with a smile. He is

following in his father’s oilfield footsteps and is committed to his

trade for the long term.

TRADES

Developing TalentMentoring Success

igning up for the CAREERS apprenticeship program was a defi ning moment in Shea Goodwin’s life. Goodwin

is an electrical apprentice at Suncor Energy in Fort

McMurray.

“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” says Goodwin, a

22-year-old lifelong resident of Fort McMurray. “Now I’ve got

my career going and I owe a lot of it to joining the CAREERS

program. They put you in the right direction.”

S When Goodwin was in high school, he was eager to start down

the path towards a good career in the town that he grew up in.

More importantly, Goodwin wanted to follow in the footsteps

of his father, who has been working in the oil industry in Fort

McMurray for more than 20 years.

As is the case with any number of young adults looking to

start a career in the trades, he was struggling to fi nd ways to get

hands-on experience in the fi eld. He needed to learn more about

By Matt Hirji • Photography by Greg Halinda

Suncor looks to Fort McMurray-based talent to build skills and community


Careers_2012_p56-59.indd 57 9/28/12 1:27:00 PM

It’s a great program. They give you all the tools you need to get your career going,” Shea Goodwin says. “They give you the time to get your school done and as you progress through your apprenticeship you get more and more responsibilities. At the end of it, I felt like I could have a successful career in the future.

the trades while having time to focus on completing his high

school education. Goodwin’s predicament was solved when he

found out about the CAREERS Registered Apprentice Program

(RAP). The program allowed him an opportunity to blaze a path

into the trades, just like his father had done years earlier.

“It’s a great program. They give you all the tools you need

to get your career going,” Goodwin says. “They give you the

time to get your school done and as you progress through your

apprenticeship you get more and more responsibilities. At the

end of it, I felt like I could have a successful career in the future.”

Having graduated from the CAREERS program, Goodwin is

on his way to completing his third-year electrical apprenticeship.

As a member of the team at Suncor Energy, Goodwin attributes

much of his success to the knowledge and skills that CAREERS

afforded him at a young age. Goodwin intends to use those skills

to continue the legacy of prosperity the generation before him, of

which his father is a part, brought to Fort McMurray.

“I want to live in this community for the long haul. I’d like to

work at Suncor for the next 30 years. I’d like to take my career

to all aspects of the plant. I like that there is a wide variety of

things that I am passionate about here, and I want to help Fort

McMurray continue to grow,” says Goodwin.

Suncor Energy in Fort McMurray prides itself on the diversity of its workforce. The plant is brimming with employees

from across Canada and around the world.

The company embraces the wide range of backgrounds and

perspectives that come together to create a cohesive team. There

is one group of workers that the company would like to see more

of: qualified, skilled employees from Fort McMurray.

“Having locally developed talent that wants to be here is of the

utmost importance; it’s one of our corporate goals,” says Arend

Van de Vosse, Maintenance Supervisor at Suncor Energy. “We

want to develop Fort McMurray into a community and not just

a commuter town. We look at the local talent as people who are

going to build the community.”

The CAREERS RAP has been an integral ingredient in Suncor

fulfilling its ongoing mandate to round out its workforce with

qualified local workers.

By partnering with CAREERS, Suncor provides opportunities

to high-school students from Fort McMurray who express interest in pursuing a career in a trade.

“Fundamentally, Suncor is paying these people to come here and learn,” explains Van de Vosse.

He has worked with a number of CAREERS apprentices who have gone through the program.

“Through their time at Suncor, the apprentices have lots of opportunities to have different expo-

sures to different skill sets. Working through our apprenticeship programs doesn’t necessarily

make you the best tradesman, but it gives you applicable experience. The apprentice here in Fort

McMurray is ahead of the game because they have the specific applicable skills to work here.”

As Van de Vosse explains, providing young, local citizens of Fort McMurray with the chance

to gain knowledge and training is an investment in the future of Suncor Energy.

Mentoring Success

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Developing SKillS: Arend Van de Vosse (L), Maintenance

Supervisor at Suncor, sees the value of CAREERS when working with

CAREERS RAP interns such as Shea Goodwin (R).

“It’s valuable for us to get these kids who

aren’t qualified to work yet. By themselves they

don’t have their journeyman qualifications, but

we know that they have a lot of potential in the

future,” Van de Vosse says. “The qualifications

that they develop through the program are

enough for us to spend time with them, teaching

them the necessary skills so they can hopefully

continue to work with Suncor in the future.”


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FUTURE

he demand for skilled tradespeople and health-care workers in Alberta is growing exponentially – but

so is participation in these fi elds, thanks to CAREERS:

the Next Generation. For 15 years CAREERS has grown

through partnerships with employers, schools and communities.

Parents and students have engaged with a program that off ers a

path to a bright future and solid career. The next 15 years bring

unique challenges as a generation of baby boomers transitions

into retirement. CAREERS provides a direct link to the future for

young Albertans searching for their life’s work. The workforce of

tomorrow is being introduced to their career today.

INDUSTRYAs the CEO of transportation company Pacifi c Western,

Michael Colborne is in the business of moving people. Every

T day, many thousands of people board his buses – like the

Red Arrow Express or Diversifi ed Transportation fl eets – to

reach destinations near and far. But while it’s been easy for his

company to draw in customers, it’s been harder to get skilled

tradespeople on board.

About 15 years ago, Colborne was struck by the diffi culty in

attracting these employees and the dearth of interested youth

in particular. “It seemed what happened in the world (was)

that (becoming) electricians, mechanics, plumbers, weren’t

being valued as good career (choices),” he says. “Parents were

pushing their kids to be lawyers, IT people, things like that.”

This was bad news for a company that depended on skilled

mechanics and technicians to keep their bus fl eets safe and

reliable. “We couldn’t grow our business if we didn’t have the

people capable of helping us grow,” he says.

Look to the Future

By Caitlin Crawshaw

The demand for skilled tradespeople is set to boom. CAREERS will help meet that need



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So when he found out about a new program designed to

expose youth to the vast potential of non-professional career

paths, he jumped at the chance to get involved. For almost 15

years , Pacifi c Western has been a proud industry partner of

CAREERS: the Next Generation, accepting teens into sum-

mer placements at his company. Giving young people a chance

to get their hands dirty, under the supervision of experienced

mechanics and technicians, helps them truly understand

what the trades are all about. For many people, it’s a catalyst

for trades training after high school. After many years of

involvement, Colborne’s delighted to see many CAREERS

students returning to Pacifi c Western as employees.

The CAREERS program hasn’t just helped his company, it

has made a diff erence across the province, says Colborne: “If

you look at what CAREERS has done, they’ve increased the

interest level in the trades. The statistics are amazing in the

growth of people entering the trades and it’s CAREERS that’s

solely done it.”

The Occupational Demand and Supply Outlook published

by the Government of Alberta, 2011, projects a shortage of

almost 1,400 heavy duty mechanics by 2021. It is a sliver of the

projected labour shortage employers who need tradespeople

are facing.

Of course, with the Alberta economy poised for a major

upswing – or maybe even a boom, depending on who you

ask – the need for tradespeople, technicians and health-care

professionals will only continue to increase. Net migration

will not be suffi cient to meet projected demand. By 2012, the

labour market is projected to grow by 607,000 workers, an

average annual rate of 2.4 per cent. A net increase of 492,000

workers is expected to join the labour force, as occupational

supply increases at an annual rate of 1.9 per cent. In the

next 15 years, Colborne knows CAREERS will only be

more relevant, not less.

Colborne is optimistic that CAREERS will continue to help

his company – and many others across the province – grow.

Once young people get hands-on experience, and learn about

the earning potential and quality of life trades careers can

off er, they realize there’s nothing wrong with getting their

hands dirty.

“As a CEO, at the end of the day, I don’t see the results of

what I do,” says Colborne. Mechanics and other tradespeople, on the other hand, see

visible, concrete results to their eff orts, at the end of every workday. “These are very

fulfi lling careers.”

EDUCATIONJerry Farwell, a recently retired high school teacher who supervised Edmonton Catholic

Schools Career and Technology Studies program, was involved with the CAREERS

program from its inception. “They were a real connector between the business world

and the schools,” he says. “As educators, we didn’t have a lot of connections in the

business world.”

He has seen the program expand attitudes towards the trades, but thinks profes-

sional careers are still seen as better career paths. “The majority of people don’t know

what’s involved with the trades and they think everyone should be going to university,”

he says. “Few parents will encourage their kids to go into the trades. The same is true

for the other career paths the program supports, like non-professional careers in health

care and industrial technology.”

CAREERS has made a big diff erence in how youth approach their career planning, and

far more kids are casting their nets more broadly. When the next boom comes, Farwell

knows the province will be in a much better situation to handle the demand for skilled

tradespeople than it was last time around. Nonetheless, “We need to do a lot of work,”

he says. “You hear about everyone going overseas to fi ll these positions, but let’s start

looking at home and make the parents and students aware.”

THE ABORIGINAL ADVANTAGEThere is, after all, plenty of talent to be found here at home. One of the largest talent

pools is the province’s Aboriginal community. “We have a fast-growing, young popula-

tion that can help us meet market needs,” says Bill Werry, Deputy Minister of Aboriginal

Relations and CAREERS Board Director.

Not only is it more cost-eff ective to source talent from within the province, but

Aboriginal youth could be more open to careers in the trades than non-Aboriginal

youth. Werry explains that across Canada, about 22 per cent of Aboriginal people have

trades training, versus only 11 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population.

CAREERS is working to foster even more interest and boost the number of First

Nations people involved in trades careers. The 2011 CAREERS Aboriginal Youth

Initiative reached out to 203 schools in 152 communities, and placed 65 student interns

at 51 employers across Alberta.

Industry is increasingly supportive of initiatives targeting First Nations youth, says

Werry. “But there’s another tier of companies to get on board.” It’s also important for

CAREERS to build trust with elders and leaders in the community, in order to get more

Aboriginal youth on board. “We need to be prepared to work in the broader context of

family – it has a pretty strong infl uence on what young people choose to do, especially in

Aboriginal culture,” Werry adds.

But he’s confi dant that the trades and CAREERS have much to off er Aboriginal youth.

Most of all, the program allows young people to stay in their own community, enjoying

the benefi ts of a job and career path, without severing connections to cultural roots and

family. “I think that’s in the long-term best interests for everyone involved,” says Werry.

While the challenges facing Alberta’s labour market haven’t disappeared, CAREERS

is providing more and more opportunities for youth to investigate the full constellation

of careers available to them. What began as a small program focused on trades, has

branched into all parts of the province and now supports health-care and industrial

technologies as well. All three areas represent more than 250 diff erent career paths,

collectively.

Werry says the goal for the future is transformational. “We’re trying to change the

dialogue and we are looking at practical ways to get people working.”

CAREERS is working to foster even more interest and boost the numbers of First Nations people involved in trades careers. The 2011 CAREERS Aboriginal Youth Initiative reached out to 203 schools in 152 communities, and placed 65 student interns at 51 employers across Alberta.


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to our Partners he team at CAREERS: the Next Generation wishes to acknowledge and thank the many parents, educators, employers, volunteers and investors who make the work of CAREERS possible. With your generous support, thousands of youth from across Alberta have been given opportunities to discover their career passion and create the workforce of tomorrow. It is a Future Worth Working For.


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to our Partners

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By The Numbers

Number of participating schools in:

1997 2011

16 511Number of participating communities in:

1997

132011

288

Number of participating

employers in:

1997

572011

1,020

Number of participating interns in:1997

532011

1,514

Number of student workshop participants in:1997

2,5002011

32,709Number of Aboriginal youth attended workshops in 2011:

In 2011, 51 employers provided 65 placements for high school Aboriginal youth4,187

The Projected Cumulative Labour Shortage expected in the year 2021:

114,278www.nextgen.orgCAREERS: THE NEXT GENERATION66

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13288

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HAVE YOU HEARD? The air quality in Wood Buff alo is better than in many major cities in North America.

The air doesn’t belong to us—it belongs to the region and its inhabitants, who depend on our care of the land. That is why we are committing $1.6 billion to reduce SO2 emissions by 60%. And why we will continue to invest in technology that maintains good air quality. Because being the best means never forgetting that we can do better.

Learn more. Sign up for our e-newsletter at syncrude.ca

The Syncrude Project is a joint venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Partnership #1, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership, and Suncor Energy Oil and Gas Partnership.

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careers: the next generation 2012

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