🏗️🎉 Huge congratulations to Dustin Sewell on signing an apprenticeship with Sierra Construction as a General Carpenter! 🛠️👏
Dustin is making school history as the first student from our Co-Op Program to begin Level 1 apprenticeship schooling while still in high school—a rare and impressive feat that showcases his dedication, talent, and passion for the trades.
Thanks to his involvement in both the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) – Construction and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) at St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Dustin was more than prepared to take on this next step. His Dual Credit carpentry course through Confederation College, funded by the School-College-Work Initiative (SCWI), provided him with hands-on experience and college-level learning.
In order to qualify, Dustin had to complete all his compulsory credits in semester one, be carrying no more than three credits in semester two, and be enrolled in a full-day co-op. He achieved all of this while continuing to impress his co-op placement at Sierra Construction, where he worked during previous summers. The company was more than happy to support him by signing a Registered Training Agreement (RTA), officially making Dustin an apprentice carpenter.
In April, he’ll head to Thunder Bay to begin his Level 1 schooling—an exciting chapter in his construction career. 🙌
Co-Op teacher Lauren Penner shared, “In my time with the program, this is the first time we’ve sent a student to complete Level 1 schooling for an apprenticeship while still in high school. It’s a huge accomplishment and well deserved.”
We’re so proud of you, Dustin! You’ve built a strong foundation, and we can’t wait to see where this path takes you. 💪🔨