From shaky hands as he attempted flat welding for the first time this summer to earning four welding tickets in four weeks, one student’s story from the NII Advance Technology Campus shows the new opportunities being forged right here in the Clean Energy Frontier region.
In July—after a Saugeen Sparks Training Centre/CWB Welding Foundation one-week program saw the entire class of 20 students receive two fillet welding certificates in flat and horizontal positions—17 students then enrolled in a four-week intensive training program hosted at the Campus and organized by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario – Tomorrow’s Trades and Saugeen Sparks.
Sham, a relative newcomer to Canada from Eritrea with no prior welding training, was one such participant.
Sham’s story
Having fled a country in turmoil, Sham was determined to find a better life, not just for himself but for his family who remained in Africa. At just 12 years old, he escaped harrowing conditions, walking for three days hoping to reach safety and seek employment in Ethiopia.
There were no jobs in Ethiopia available to him, however, and that country also became unsafe for Sham, now a refugee. Good news came when he was eventually sponsored by a church in Owen Sound and was able to move to Canada.
His focus since then? To find a good job that would allow him to support his family in his home country: “Living in Canada, you can make money to take care of your family and yourself,” Sham says.
The welding program: a new beginning
What started as a recommendation to the Provincial Building Trades and Sparks Training Centre by a high school teacher in Owen Sound (where he obtained his high school diploma in just three years), turned into a career path that Sham hadn’t considered before.
He said: “I was thinking that I would do plumbing, and then I was given a chance to try a trade that happened to be welding for the first week of the four-week summer program and I really liked it—it’s exciting.”
Before enrolling in the welding program, Sham had some background in construction—working with insulation and plumbing—which meant he was no stranger to working with his hands, but welding was a new challenge.
“The first time was a bit scary, but after a couple days I was okay,” he recalled.
Sham described how his hands shook as he attempted flat welding for the first time, under the watchful eyes of his instructors who knew Sham was ready to be tested for two welding certificates—after just two days of instruction!
Recognizing his unique natural welding skills, the instructors encouraged him to stay for the duration of the four-week program and suggested he try for all four welding tickets at its conclusion.
“Part of an exceptional class of students”
When asked to stay on, Sham’s fear quickly gave way to a growing passion. According to instructor Bob Kahgee, “he asked a lot of questions and he welded non-stop because he wanted to get those four welding certifications.”
Sham’s journey has not gone unnoticed.
His work ethic and commitment have earned him the respect and admiration of everyone around him. Rob Stanley, Executive Director of the Saugeen Sparks Training Centre, described him as “a very polite young man who has overcome a lot of barriers but works hard, is conscientious, focused and helpful. Everyone is rooting for him.”
As Rick Townend, Project Coordinator of Tomorrow’s Trades, said, “Sham was part of an exceptional class of students at the NII Advance Technology Campus this summer—two welding programs for which the CWB performed final testing. 100% of students passed both programs with flying colours, with 17 students including Sham receiving all four position certificates in fillet welding using the SMAW process.”
Stated Brian Lieske, CWB Certification Services Representative:
“This is something that does not happen often—and speaks to the level of instruction these new welders have received. The instructors are top-tier tradespeople with a unique knack of passing down what they know to our younger (and older) new welders.”
Looking to the future
Now that Sham has successfully completed the welding program at the Campus, his focus remains on his family.
Working two jobs in Owen Sound, Sham sends money back home every month, knowing that his family relies on him. His ultimate dream is to work for a company like Bruce Power or get an apprenticeship with one of the big welding unions, buy a house and one day bring his family to Canada.
Sham, whose journey has taken him from Africa to Canada, is a testament to the power of perseverance and the opportunities being created here in the Clean Energy Frontier region.
His story is not only about learning a trade—it’s about building a future, one weld at a time.
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