Trevor: Aquaculture Technician, Tsaxana
Trevor Fraser loves living on the water. “Daily interactions with eagles, sea lions and other wildlife… it’s just a really beautiful experience,” he says. And now that Trevor is trained as an aquaculture technician and on the job with Grieg Seafood Ltd., he gets all the time on the water he could have imagined.
Living in the tiny community of Tsaxana, near Gold River, back in 2012, Trevor set his sights on a career in aquaculture. To get there, he signed up for the Aquaculture Technician Diploma Program being offered in his home community by Excel Career College. The college was working in partnership with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, Grieg Seafood and the B.C. Government’s Aboriginal Training for Employment Program.
The benefits of using a program like the Aboriginal Employment Program mean students like Trevor can access support and tools to develop a satisfying career with a clear roadmap to success. “The course is a breath of fresh air in a town that offers little in the way of training and/or work,” he says. “For me, fish health issues and the computer training helped the most. It helped me learn how to deal with end-of-day logs and databases such as environment conditions.”
Trevor got a practicum placement with Grieg Seafood during the program and his commitment to do well really shone through. Following the practicum, the company offered him a contract and then a permanent, full-time position.
“It’s going awesome,” says Trevor, who’s now working toward the next step in his personal plan for success. “I am applying for management. It is a goal that I have been working towards since the beginning, and I feel that the program really gave me the extra jump.”
As part of BC’s Aboriginal Training for Employment Program, $1 million will fund 10 programs delivered by Indigenous organizations and service providers to help prepare Indigenous learners for employment opportunities—meaning more success stories like Trevor's. Learners will get job-related training such as essential skills and introductory trades training along with mentoring, coaching and support for a range of in-demand jobs.
Now that Trevor has his foot firmly planted in the door, what does he like most about where he is today? “I like to work,” he says, “and I love the ocean, so it’s a perfect combo!”
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