Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School students Jake Millar, 17 and Izaiah Ambrus, 16, have decided to graduate early and have enrolled themselves into residential construction at Thomson River University location in Williams Lake, to get a head start on the opportunities that may come. Their course touches on the basics of everything related to construction, however, it is mostly carpentry.
Jake had expressed that he wanted to do the course, “mainly to get into the workforce sooner so I can get an early start on everything, and I want to do quite a bit in my career.”
They were informed about this course by PSO careers counsellor Heather Wood who told them it was being run through TRU where they would have most of their tuition paid for as well as providing everything but housing.
Thankfully, there is a school bus that picks the boys up at the Co-op card lock across from Canim/Hendrix Lake Road that then takes them to Maze Lake, and from there they get on another bus and head to Williams Lake.
When they first started their course on July 8, there wasn’t a bus running, so they were given $500 a month each for rent from the school to be able to live in Williams Lake for two months!
They arrive at school at 8:03 a.m. and begin their class at 8:30 a.m. and end at around 2:30 p.m. However, their class time can vary depending on if they start early they end earlier, but if they start late then they end later.
When class starts, they grab their safety gear and get right to work. Throughout their week, Jake and Izaiah work on many hands-on projects along with paperwork that is often included.
Both are loving the construction work so far. “I enjoy learning everything about carpentry and actually getting to learn it hands-on rather than just reading a book,” Izaiah mentioned.
This is one of the only eight-month programs that gives you your carpentry level one and two for completing the course.
The class will end around mid-February then they will come back to Peter Skene Ogden and finish off a couple more classes each to officially graduate from high school.
When they graduate, Jake isn’t too sure if he wants to find work here in the Cariboo or go elsewhere. However now, he has more options because of the residential construction. Izaiah would like to work down at the coast because he has family there and can then further his education/career.
Both Jake and Izaiah’s families are extremely proud of their accomplishments along with teachers and friends of the high school. We are all hoping for the best for the two boys!
