Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way for young undergraduates to learn a trade while being employed? Wait a minute… That already exists! It’s called The New Brunswick Teen Apprentice Program (NBTAP). The NBTAP is an industry led pre-apprentice program for qualifying students starting in Grade 10 or Grade 11.
Meet Kyle Drouillard. He is the most recent member of the Champlain Auto Body team. Although he still hasn’t finished college, Kyle already has months of experience in the collision repair industry, thanks to his apprenticeship.
Throughout the next few years, Kyle will periodically go to college to learn the theory behind the collision repair trade and will complete 4 blocks and eventually qualify to write the exam for his Red Seal license.
Like many before him, Kyle chose the apprenticeship route to link him to his career.
“I liked the NBTAP program because it allowed me to try the trade before committing to college or university,” said Kyle.
Kyle said he also like to be able to make connections and gain experience during the process. While completing his second Summer job Apprenticeship, he decided that collision repair was his career calling and that he would like to pursue a post-secondary education.
“Working at Champlain Auto Body was a great Summer job and I had the chance to try new things,” Kyle said.
By trying new things, he means he was able to paint his own car. How cool is that?
When asked if he has any tips for youths uncertain of their career path, this is what he had to say: “Trades are in high demand right now so this program can really fast track your career right off from high school.”
Mandie Steen, Office Manager at Champlain Auto Body, is thrilled to have Kyle onboard. “He is a bright young man and we appreciate that NBTAP helped us in recruiting a new member to our team,” Steen said. “It’s a big advantage for us to be able to teach aspiring employees about the industry as well as our own shop process,” she added.
Kyle currently works in our Prep department and is also training every other week in our Repair planning department. He is now set his career goal of becoming a Build down/Collision repair technician.
If you want more info on the program visit: https://www.nbtap.ca/
If you would like to apply for an Apprenticeship term in our shop, contact Mandie Steen at mandie@champlainautobody.com.