Apprenticeship Manitoba awarded Josh Church, Carpentry instructor in Assiniboine Community College's School of Trades, with the Instructor of the Year award at their 16th annual Apprenticeship Awards of Distinction gala on November 2, 2022.
Left to right: Ginny Church, Josh Church, Danielle Tichit, Rick Baker, Charlene Hiscock, Kelly Hiscock, Kyle McDonald, Melissa McDonald
"It was very humbling to receive the nomination, and I cannot express how grateful I am to be the recipient of this award. The best feeling as a tradesperson was walking away from a job and seeing what you had created or accomplished. My students are now that accomplishment," said Church.
A total of four Assiniboine instructors were nominated for the award this year: Rick Baker (Math & Science), Kyle McDonald (Ag & Heavy Duty Equipment Technician) and Kelly Hiscock (Ag & Heavy Duty Equipment Technician).
"The School of Trades is incredibly proud of our four nominees, and extends a special congratulations to Josh, who was chosen as the award recipient," said Kevin Poirier, Dean, School of Trades at Assiniboine. "To work with individuals who are passionate about educating the next generation of trained tradespeople is a pleasure. These nominees exemplify Assiniboine's vision of providing exceptional learning experiences in the classroom."
Church is an Assiniboine alumnus, having completed all levels of his technical training for his Carpenter Apprenticeship at the college. He served his apprenticeship while working at Horizon Builders in Brandon, and once he received his Red Seal in 2011, worked as site supervisor. Church then worked for Keller Developments for five years, serving in different positions, from a journeyman on site to project management and estimating.
In 2018, Josh began working at the college, and has been instructing in the Carpentry program at the Len Evans Centre for Trades and Technology for five years.
"I hope to instill in my students the confidence to challenge themselves moving forward, and to be proud of what they create or accomplish. Tools may be upgraded or created, but a skilled tradesperson will never be replaceable," said Church.
Church has been an active member of several safety committees for more than 15 years, has helped to build safety programs for the industry, and is currently working toward his goal of completing the National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) designation.
