by Heidi Hackman & Colleen McNamee, District Career Coordinators, SD 63 | photo by Amanda Cribdon Photography –
There is a first time for everything, and that first time for the Saanich School District Youth Work in Trade program is already here. This month we will introduce you to not only one but two plumbers who just happen to be brothers! Cole and Brodie Williams, who possess very different learning styles and personalities, have just found their way into a rewarding and fulfilling career in plumbing.
Cole, who graduated from Claremont, has just completed his Level 3 Plumbing course at the age of 20. Well on his way to a successful career, he received the Youth Work in Trade Award last spring and completed the TASK program when he was in Grade 12. Needless to say, he liked plumbing the best. He now has a job at Vertex Plumbing and Heating and hasn’t looked back.
Brodie’s situation was a little different. He found himself with no classes in quarter three of his school term last year. His mother Laurel, well aware of her son’s situation, suggested he find a job. “I saw how happy and excited my brother was about plumbing, so I wanted to check it out for myself,” Brodie says. He got a job at Gilmour Plumbing, and his career teacher contacted Dean Gilmour and explained that the Youth Work in Trade program allowed Brodie to earn valuable high school credits while working. He signed him up as a youth apprentice. Returning to Stelly’s for the fourth quarter, he graduated and went back to work in the summer. Brodie then went on to complete his Level 1 in February of this year and was awarded the $1,000 Youth Work in Trades Award last month.
Laurel’s comments about her two son’s different learning styles supports the belief that our program is very flexible and able to adapt to different ways of learning for our students. “Cole can compete with the Energizer bunny and thrives on chaos, while Brodie is more mellow and likes things to be structured and organized. Cole loves to see a job completed from start to finish and takes pride in his work.” Brodie loves the teamwork aspect of the job and seeing a project at the end. They both agree that plumbing requires a lot of manual labour, as well as brain power.
The relationship between siblings and birth order is frequently referred to when talking about different personality traits, but different ways of learning between siblings also play a role in understanding various theories about sibling birth order. The boys do have a younger sister, Cassidy. Plumbing as a career has significantly impacted both boys in different ways, but there is no doubt they have grown stronger together through the bond created by their careers.
It is interesting to note that they both strongly recommend doing work experience in a trade first to make sure it is the right one for you. You never know until you try! Congratulations Cole and Brodie.
