In her role, Courtney has worked with adults who are extremely skilled with their hands and have good number sense, but do not see themselves as potential skilled tradespeople. She recognizes that there are many reasons for this, but a primary cause is that the steps involved in the apprenticeship pathway are unfamiliar to their educational and work experiences. Specifically, when a learner has had a poor (or disrupted) educational experience, the thought of entering a multi-year program to attain a Red Seal certification seems foreign (even frightening).

For many learners, work is about paying bills now. It is not about making long-term professional plans. And because learners are often unaccustomed to thinking about finding a profession, they can undervalue their existing skills and abilities, especially when an opportunity requires additional education and training.

The YWCA’s Skills Training and Upgrading Program assists many individuals who have struggled or continue to struggle to get their high school diploma or an equivalent. These learners benefit from consistent in person support and encouragement. It can take a long time and a great deal of effort before they can move past their past experiences and see themselves as capable learners. These learners are understandably dismissive when instructors encourage them to consider anything beyond a high school diploma.  

Courtney understands that apprenticeships demand a range of sophisticated skills. These include not just math but utilizing emotional sophistication and practicing refined communication (interpersonal or “essential” skills). Her task, as she sees it, is helping learners approach new skills as a logical extension of their learning process. Courtney helps learners discover not only that they have “a mind for math” or are math-capable, but also encourages them to find in themselves existing capabilities that match the essential skills necessary for apprenticeship.



The YWCA St. Thomas Elgin Skills Training and Upgrading Program initiates this process by having her learners sign a “Learning Agreement.” This agreement requires learners to be accountable for their attendance by requiring them to notify her of upcoming absences.  Learners are encouraged to attend the classroom multiple days a week and staying for three hours. Learners are encouraged to stay in class even when the subjects they are working on are demanding. Courtney has referred to this as “classroom hardening,” By taking ownership of their attendance, learners can demonstrate their commitment to showing up. This accountability focus is excellent preparation for an apprenticeship, where employer-sponsors emphasize that showing up is the critical ingredient to success. When work “hardens,” they want to know their apprentices will stick it out.

Courtney and the YWCA understand that apprenticeship preparation begins in the classroom. Adult learners attend Get SET classes, not because the law requires them to be in school, but because they want to build their futures.

That commitment to self and the tenacity that comes with juggling work, family, and school can itself become a recipe for apprenticeship success. For this success to happen, Get SET instructors are often the first step toward helping learners see that their classroom grit is a bridge to apprenticeship.

Get SET educators like Courtney play an unsung role in helping learners realize that the job they seek can also blossom into a career path.

Becoming a Red Seal certified tradesperson is really the beginning of more opportunities for career growth and skills development. Melanie notes that an apprenticeship is an open door to entrepreneurship, teaching, and leadership roles in industry. What an apprentice can do depends on their work ethic and imagination. It is a springboard, not a finish line. As Melanie puts it, “it’s the only pathway where you need a job to learn. The other ones you learn to get a job.”

One of SOY’s most distinctive contributions is its dual‑support model. Instead of focusing solely on apprentices, SOY works closely with employers, offering tools and guidance to build training environments where anyone can thrive. Employers lean on SOY to source job ready candidates, register apprentices, and assist with administrative support. This enables employers to do what they do best: running their businesses and training trades people.  “We’re educating both sides of the equation,” Melanie explains. “We help apprentices understand what to expect—and we help employers create spaces where apprentices can learn and thrive.”

On the apprentice side, SOY provides essential employability training, including networking, communication skills, resume development, and the unwritten rules of professionalism. They also address something Melanie refers to as “acculturation,” which is helping new apprentices understand the culture, expectations, and pace of the skilled trades. This includes everything from what a spotter should be doing on a ladder to how to advocate for oneself in a busy jobsite environment.

One of the things that sets SOY apart is its use of psychometric and critical-thinking assessments, which it developed in collaboration with its partner, FitFirst. These tools help identify each candidate’s strengths, preferences, and ideal working conditions without closing off opportunities or dictating career choices. The purpose of these assessments is to help prospective apprentices reflect on their skills, interests, and personality to determine which trade might be the best fit for them. Melanie emphasizes that the results are not prescriptive: “My job is not to tell someone what they should be. My job is to help them understand who they are—and where they might thrive.”

Employers increasingly rely on these assessments. On occasion, they will send their walk-in candidates to SOY for screening before they make hiring decisions. What SOY has developed is a shared language, rooted in behavioural traits, problem‑solving, and jobsite realities, that can align employer expectations with apprentice strengths. The result is a stronger match, higher satisfaction from both parties, and significantly better retention. SOY’s retention rates are greater than ninety percent, meaning that their apprentices remain in the trades once they’ve begun their journey. Melanie says that at SOY, success isn’t defined by how long someone stays with SOY, but whether they stay in the trades.

SOY’s door is open not only to high‑school graduates, but to adults seeking a new start. Many candidates arrive unsure of their abilities or their direction. SOY addresses these uncertainties by offering programs like hands‑on boot camps and exploration workshops to help individuals test their interests and build confidence that an apprenticeship is a good fit for them. Melanie encourages those interested in the skilled trades sector to try different forms of trades training, as it can lead to unexpected possibilities and opportunities.

Recommended Resource:

Where to Find Mentors Outside of Your Business

This document outlines the benefits of mentorship (with skill development, overcoming challenges, networking opportunities, and increasing motivation) and the importance of mentorship in retaining apprentices and supporting their career development.

View the full resource here.

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