In 2008, yours truly attempted to be hired as an apprentice under a licensed electrician. Suffice it to say, my mentors chose not to hire me – not because of my ability to complete work, but due to the fact I didn’t fit into the typical stereotype of a blue-collar worker.
The following article is a true story. The names used here are those of real people and real companies.
In 2007, I took a Grade 11 Cooperative Education class during my first semester of the year. For 5 months, my dad drove me to St. Vincent’s Hospital on a daily basis. The building was a 6-floor old-age facility. I accompanied the building’s electricians as they made their daily rounds, performing routine maintenance. It was a 30-minute drive to and from the hospital, and my schedule was from 12 pm to 3 pm. The electricians were very friendly and I had quite the enjoyable experience with them.
At the end of my time there, I even received a letter of reference from the electrical supervisor, a nice man by the name of Mérille Kirouac, stating that, “In the time spent with us, we found that Scott is a punctual individual and that he is well organized when it comes to tracking what he has learned and getting evaluation forms filled out. He has a good attitude with respect to learning new things and is willing to help when required. He is pleasant to work with, and is respectful of his co-workers and superiors.” I was honored by his positive comments.
The following year, I applied for the Grade 12 Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program in electrical installation and repair. After taking a mathematics test and an interview with the administration, I was fortunate in that I was 1 of only 20 applicants selected to participate in the program, which included an all-paid first level of basic training in college. This amounted to approximately $3,600 in textbooks and teachers’ salaries. The 8-week course was to be held at Durham College from February 11, 2008 to April 11, 2008. It was a 2-hour drive back and forth to the college from my home, and my dad spent the time driving me there each day of the week. While I attended class, he would walk around the local area, whiling the time away until I finished. Classes were from 10 am to 5 pm, with a 1-hour lunch break from 12 pm to 1 pm, and a 15-minute break at the end of every other hour. We had two teachers, one male and one female. Needless to say, I was exhausted when I got back home around 8 pm each night. Although I wasn’t in any sort of mood to complete the homework, I forced myself to stay awake and push through it. I ended the course with a 90% grade average.
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