Learn how people found careers they love, doing things they never imagined.
Accidental Apprentice
Episode 26
Rooks to Cooks Founder & CEO Chef Shai Mandel.
Before Shai stepped into the world of culinary education as an amazing entrepreneur and role model she was working a slightly different path. Hear how Shai went from a BA in Kinesiology to running 12 culinary experiential experiences for students and parents across Toronto!
Episode 25
Keith Williams founder and producer behind Goadilo sits with Accidental Apprentice Podcast.
Goadilo stands for "Glimpse of a Day in the Life of" and that is exactly what Keith does with his podcast. He connects with people in their careers and provides a video experience diving into the day in the life of their careers.
Episode 24
Electricity Human Resources Canada CEO Michelle Branigan sits down with the Accidental Apprentice podcast to discuss the bounty of opportunities in the Electricity Sector. She discusses with us the challenges to breaking stigma, championing diversity and holding an industry to the goals they set to lead the way in change.
Episode 23
We are hearing all the time conversation that we don't even know what the jobs of tomorrow look like. Well here is Mike Bembenek, an Executive Producer for an online gaming production company. A career 15 years ago no one would even think could be a thing.
Hear how his career took him from Canada to England, from Degrassi the Next Gen to the Juno and Gemini Awards shows to filling the SSE arena with over 12,000 people in London for a Live STreaming Event.
Episode 22
What happens when what you are doing for a career has you beat? You don't feel the passion and fit you once did and now wondering if you can ever find the success you dreamed of?
Listen to how Natalie spun "the career wheel" and took a chance on herself. Nothing comes easy, but with some hard work and staying committed to learning as you go you really can change careers, to roles you never knew imagined.
Episode 21
This episode features Sheridan College School of Skilled Trades Faculty Craig and Larry in front of a live audience.
We journey through both of their careers and how they ended up teaching their crafts.
We finish with some audience questions delving deeper into both of their journeys.
Episode 20
President of Promation Nuclear, Darryl Spector sits down with us and provides us with a super insightful conversation covering career exploration, the looming demand facing skilled trade industries as well as a no-nonsense review of our current system to explore careers and leaves us with some tangible solutions that you can use to improve your own exploration.
Episode 19
Mediaplanet provides unique and comprehensive media campaigns for the skilled trades and women in trades, among mother other topics across the Globe.
We sit with Jessica and Jacob from Mediaplanet to learn more about their roles, their individual journeys and what it is like being part of such a unique environment at Mediaplanet.
Episode 18
Nicole and Molly, two HR Professionals sit down with us to share with us their work behind the Skill Trade Employment Pathway (STEP) Program. As we jump into their own stories of their journeys to their careers today, we explore their roles in Human Resources and take many lessons to help you on your current or future career journey.
Episode 17
Director of Workforce Development for Canada's Building Trades Unions Lindsay Amundsen joins me in a conversation about the work the CBTU has been doing across Canada through their Buildtogether program among other initiatives in concert with their Provincial counterparts. We discuss diversity and inclusion in both the world of construction and the Building Trades across Canada.
Episode 16
Annemarie Shrouder is an international speaker, corporate trainer and consultant on issues of Diversity and Inclusion.
She is committed to fairness and belonging. These commitments mean that she believes in playing fair in the sanbox and that everyone should have a place at the table - not just a seat, a place, which implies that we are valueable and valued.
This conversation was an eye opener and really hits home the fact that in 2018, things are not necessarily as equitable as advertised. But there are solutions and path forward.
Episode 15
Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation/Author/Professor/Speaker/Canadian Historian and just outstanding Human Being, Ken Coates.
Ken was raised in Whitehorse, Yukon and has a long-standing professional and personal interests in Aboriginal rights, northern development, northern Canadian History, science, technology and society, and Japan studies.
I cannot express how amazing it was to speak with Ken, it was a truly dynamic conversation taking you deeper into one of his books "Dream Factories" and conversations around the skilled trades and the future of work.
I stand by "Dream Factories" as a must read by those thinking about what to do after Highschool and for those parents, educators and influencers around students making plans, hopefully you will pick up Ken's other book, "What to consider if you're considering University: New Rules for Education and Employment"
Episode 14
Strap in and enjoy the ride in this conversation with Glen Reyes. Glen is a career coach and mentor who holds a Bsc. with a Double Major in Kinesiology and Psychology. Hear how he developed presentations and motivation through his Leadership in Hip-Hop work across Ontario after University. We talk post-secondary paths, skills development & what the skills for tomorrow actual look like.
Episode 13
WRKS General Manager and Co-founder Michael Ehling joins us to share with us his revolutionary hiring network WRKS. This platform's ability to advancing how employers and applicants connect and build stronger connections resulting in better opportunities and greater success stories creating better careers.
We discuss the need for the change WRKS provides and how Michael and the team at WRKS developed this idea into a reality.
Episode 12
We are joined by Skills Ontario Program Manager Scott Verhoeve. Scott serves as a critical backbone aross our Province for building networks and opportunities for people interested in the Skilled Trades and for those advocating and building awareness and opportunities for pathways to them.
Episode 11
Jon Callagher, creator and innovator behind the research initiative JobTalks joins us on episode 11. His research led to the JobTalks YouTube series and the report "Trading Up - Why the future of Education in Canada must be Skilled.
This conversation is jammed with discussion about being happy with work, making efforts to unpack the stigma related to the skilled trades. Jon is a motivated and committed individual with the intelligence to move mountains when broadening the public perspective of the skilled trades.
Episode 10
Mechanical Engineer to Director of Program Services for the Yonge Street Mission, Paul Lim.
Hear how Paul's journey, which started in the U.S. as a Mechanical Engineer in the Petroleum Industry, let him to transform his life and his family's life to do something for fulfillment and purpose. Paul's class and character is truly captivating, couple that with his commitment to living up to the YSM to end chronic poverty in a generation makes this a very rare and unique experience on the show. Have a listen to what a journey of selfessness, sacrifice and some solid supports from those who doubt who at first looks like from the perspective at the destination.
Episode 9
Industrial Millwright, Skills Ontario Alumni Association President, Speaker, Advocate and Groundbreaker Jennifer Green.
Aside from being a red seal industrial millwright mechanic and planner for the Upper Grand District School Board, Jennifer is a much sought after keynote speaker and advocate for skilled trades, inclusion diversity. Jennifer serves as a mentor for young women in or pursuing the skilled trades across North America and beyond. We dig into what makes Jenn tick, her path and why she puts so much of herself out there for others.
Episode 8
Double Header - Plumber Tim Wilkinson followed by Skills Ontario Alumni Association Board Member Dalton Bird.
Wrapping up my time at the Skills Ontario 2018 Provincial Competition I am bringing you a special double episode. Tim Wilkinson is a Red Seal Plumber and Plumbing instructor. He breaks down the idea of you really get what you pay for when hiring a plumber.
In the second half we have Dalton Bird sharing his Skills journey both Provincially and Nationally.
Episode 7
Ironworker, Boilermaker, founder of Kickass Careers, Jamie McMillan. I have had the pleasure of knowing Jamie for sometime and first hand have witnessed her dedication and commitment as an advocate and mentor for students and youth exploring the skilled trades. We had a limited window on this episode, and with Jamie exploding across North America I will have to work extra hard to lock her down to dig deeper into our conversation started here.
Episode 6
Colin not only shared his laid back and positive sense of humour, but also his story which started as early as Grade 8 in elementary school. We talk about the current skilled trades boost and the difference in his opinion between making a paycheque and earning a paycheque.
Episode 5
Industrial Millwright & Elevating Device Instructor Nathan
Continuing with our Skills Ontario series with hear one of the most jaw dropping stories I have ever come across of heading into a career. It truly reinforces my belief that everyone's story is special and unique and should be shared. From his story it is clear that his resolve has served him well in achieving his career and successes along the way.
Episode 4
Hear from Derick how he went from a student aspiring to be a psychologist to becoming a Provincial and National Skills Champion in Mechanical Design.
Episode 3
As requested, here is the story of where the idea for the podcast came from and the story I share of the Accidental Apprentice, my story.
Episode 2
Listen to Marc Soberano, Executive Director and Founder of Building Up share with us how Building Up was founded and what it took to get this amazing organization off the ground. Marc is an outside of the box thinker for sure, and his career path was nothing close to ordinary. He shares personal insights and lessons learned for those forging their paths and futures, or considering a move from where they are.