If you’re a small business looking for new employees it can be tough to juggle the interview process, the hiring process and even finding an apprentice. But that is not the case for Capson Electrical Contractors. General Manager, Chad Brooks has been working with Angela, a job developer with the London Employment Help Centre (LEHC). Her services are absolutely free and she takes the time to write a job description along with interviewing candidates for the small company. Chad says Angela has been a huge help in finding him the right people for his positions. By finding the right candidates through the LEHC, Chad has been able to increase his retention rate, meaning that the people who get hired on, stay on.
Enter Kevin Philips. The 21-year-old had his grade 12 diploma and started asking people in his network if they knew of any places looking to hire. Turns out, his family had a friend who owned an auto body shop that needed a general labourer. Philips was hired and while he enjoyed vehicles, it wasn’t something he was interested in doing for the rest of his life. His boss noticed his strong work ethic and dedication to the job and recommended he visit the London Employment Help Centre for help on his career.
Philips set up an appointment to meet with Angela at the LEHC and after learning that Philips was considering an electrical trade, she contacted Chad at Capson Electrical who was looking to hire a general labourer and eventually train them as an electrical apprentice. Angela was able to offer Chad the apprenticeship signing bonus, which provides up to $2,000 for training an apprentice. Philips also utilized the Employment Support Fund, which would help him cover some of the cost of training and the equipment needed to start the job.
Philips will be starting his first term at Fanshawe taking the course 309A construction maintenance in March 2017. He’ll be gaining the technical skills and knowledge in the classroom while getting hands-on experience at Capson Electrical Contactors – all while being paid! He says he enjoys that every day is a new challenge and that he gets to work through the right techniques from the electricians he works with.
He’ll have two more terms before he’s finished school and has a few more years before he will become an electrician, but says it’s worth the wait if he can master the trade.
Electricians are just one of the many skilled trades that are in demand in the London region and Chad Brooks will be working with Angela at LEHC to find more candidates in 2017.
For a list of organizations that help support employment – whether you’re a business or someone looking for a new career- visit www.worktrends.ca
Visit www.theapprenticeshipnetwork.com for more details on Apprenticeship.
