My name is Josh. I graduated from high school two years ago and after spending a year at university taking psychology classes, I realized it wasn't for me. Since then I've been working part-time at a coffee shop.
A few months ago, after I got home from my shift, my mom told me I needed to start paying rent. There was no way I could pay rent with the money I was making and still go travelling with my friends like we planned.
Luckily, my mom had recently noticed an ad for the Delta Trades Technical Career Fair and suggested I check it out. I visited www.delta.ca/careerfair and learned that the fair would have approximately 100 interactive exhibits featuring all kinds of different trades.
I watched the highlights video and it looked like last year's event was a lot of fun. Plus, I saw that I could win awesome prizes just by taking a selfie at the event, so I texted my friends to go with me.
As soon as we got in we were blown away by all of the people, exhibits to look at, and the food trucks outside. I can't even remember all of the trades I got to try - I'm not kidding, I actually got to try out laying bricks at Kwantlen's masonry booth, auto painting on a paint simulator and welding.
My friends and I took selfies to try and win some prizes and one of us even won a $50 gift card. We saw the Trans Mountain presentation on the show stage, talked to experts at the Talk-to-a-Trade mini-event and learned about apprenticeship grants through Service Canada.
For me, the event highlighted a solid benefit of a career in trades - the money. I could start training for these careers right away and start earning money - good money - in a few months. No more $11 an hour at the coffee shop. No more odd jobs for a few bucks. I had no idea I could make $28 an hour as an electrician or $44,000 a year as a baker.
With all of these great options available it was hard to choose one, but I loved the experience of welding. Crafting something with metal and heat was so cool, and I learned it's a trade that can cross over into many industries.
I also found out I could make great money as a welder. In less than a year, I could be earning way more than twice what I was making at the coffee shop. I could pay rent to my mom.
I could travel. I could move out; maybe I could even save up and buy a place of my own.
Two months after the career fair, I was enrolled in a welding program and I'm now well on my way to becoming a journeyman welder. I only wish
I'd found this opportunity sooner.
Josh is fictional, but his experience is not. Come to the Delta Trades Technical Career Fair on Thursday, April 30 at Sungod Recreation Centre and you could discover your future career.
