When it comes to planning for life after high school and following a career path, not many high school students will give a concrete answer. Luckily for Chase Hanson of Bowden, he knows exactly what he wants to do, and he has an employer willing to help him get there.
Thanks to Bowden Grandview School principal Jeff Thompson and off-campus coordinator Donna-Lynn Anderson as well as Holly Bilton of Central Alberta team Careers: The Next Generation, Hanson was given the proper motivation he needed to enter the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).
Starting in January, it took only one month before Hanson was able to find work with Mark Sawatzky and Imperial Heavy Truck Repair in Olds. Soon after, he found himself indentured in the heavy equipment technician (HET) trade.
Although Hanson is employed in the career he wants to pursue, he recognizes that finishing high school is top priority. That is why for the 2017-18 school year, he has set up his classes to fully utilize the RAP to help him graduate.
Starting this month, Hanson is taking two core classes in the morning, then heading to work in the afternoon.
In January, he will have one final core class and then spend the rest of his day working with his employer, earning credits needed for graduation and valuable work hours towards the first year of his apprenticeship.
The hours Hanson earns while in school will allow him to attend technical training as soon as September 2018, when he plans on going to Red Deer College.
The realities of full-time employment in a demanding work setting aren't lost on Hanson. When asked what is the biggest lesson he has learned thus far, he says, "you start at the bottom and got to work your way up. As you gain experience, you gain more respect and become part of the team."
Hanson isn't content with just becoming a journeyman in the HET trade. His ambition is to complete the automotive service technician (AST) trade and eventually own his own business.
He credits this all to enrolling in the RAP and highly recommends it to any of his peers who are interested in working in a technical trade.
"When you finish school, you already have a year or two of experience and it gives you the motivation to get out there and finish your apprenticeship," Hanson says.
The RAP has also been a positive experience for Sawatzky. Not only was his son enrolled in the program, but he has two students -- including Hanson -- currently on staff.
Sawatzky was asked why he believes that allowing a student to work during high school is beneficial.
"Getting students right out of school allows me to teach them how I want things done. That way, they haven't picked up any bad habits," he says.
As an employer, Sawatzky values the ability and opportunity to have a student with little to no experience and be able to train them right at the start of their career.
He believes in hiring students who are interested in pursuing a skilled trade and looks forward to doing so again in the future.
- Ben Fleury is assistant field director, central for Careers: The Next Generation.
"Getting students right out of school allows me to teach them how I want things done. That way, they haven't picked up any bad habits."MARK SAWATZKYIMPERIAL HEAVY TRUCK REPAIR
