A pair of former CNC Carpentry Foundation-Level students are now valuable members of the team currently building the expansion to CNC’s trades wing in Quesnel.
Shortly after completing the program at CNC’s Quesnel campus in 2018, Tyler Iampen and Dawson Weselowski found work with the project’s general contractor IDL Construction.
Prior to enrolling at CNC, Tyler spent 10 years working construction. His experience in CNC’s Carpentry Foundation-Level program increased his math skills and provided a solid background about construction procedures. It also taught him how to navigate and interpret the BC Building Code.
Dawson entered the program as a dual credit student from Correlieu Secondary School. He completed the Carpentry Foundation-Level program in conjunction with his final Grade 12 requirements. He did all this while also holding down a job.
Managed by Tom Fuller of IDL, Tyler and Dawson built the footings and foundation, installed a large trenching system in the power engineering shop, demolished a wall, and are now building the steel wall structure and supports.
Tyler credits CNC Quesnel’s Carpentry Foundation-Level instructor Howard Berlin for his success in the program.
“Howard is a good teacher,” Tyler said. “And he is always available to answer questions.”
Dawson also appreciated all the help he received from his instructor throughout the program.
“If you needed him to, he took the time to break down concepts so you can understand them,” Dawson said.
There are 8,000 job openings projected for carpenters in B.C. between now and 2022. The foundation course at CNC prepares students for an apprenticeship and can lead to a large variety of careers, from construction and management to log home building to home inspection.
CNC Quesnel offers all levels of the Carpentry Apprentice program. In 2019, Foundation Carpenter begins February 4 with Carpenter Level 3 beginning October 28, 2019.