Think about the services in your own life that you've come to rely on, like lights, heat, the Internet, the cars you drive in, even the planes you fly in. For every one of those, there's a team of professionals that maintain them. Everyone needs people that can fix a car, or do their plumbing, or renovate their home, or just maintain the equipment and vehicles we rely on every day. Joining a skilled trade will make you a member of a special, incredibly valuable and well-paid segment of the workforce, and build you a rewarding, creative career.
And to encourage students to study for those trades, Centennial College is one of the educational institutes offering the Schulich Builders Scholarship, in which new students entering one of our skilled trades programs can win $40,000 toward their tuition fees. In 2021, ten Centennial College students each won one of these scholarships. We spoke to two winners, Sultan Adeyemi, who's taking our Electrical Techniques program, and Zayn Noorgat, enrolled in our Aircraft Maintenance - Aviation Technician program, to learn more about it.
On choosing the skilled trades
"I was working with a family friend, and I was doing home renovations," Sultan says about his pre-college history. "Working in home renovation allowed me to observe the electrical industry more closely, because sometimes, while I was on the job, electricians would come in and do work. That fueled my passion for the electrical trade, and that's why I decided to get into it."
"I did a lot of research for programs in the electrical field," he continues. "And I found that that Centennial offered a variety of electrical programs, and they have industry connections within the electrical trade."
Like Sultan, Zayn came into the program thanks to the work experience he already had, in the form of a co-op program he took part in.
"I always had an interest in the aviation industry throughout high school," Zayn says. "And then when I was in Grade 11, I took a four-credit co-op, and I got placed at a company called VMO Aerospace, where I learned a lot about the aviation industry. It was at this point where I decided, okay, this is definitely what I want to do." His decision to come to Centennial, meanwhile, was motivated by seeing where he'd be learning.
"When I did the orientation, I just found the campus very appealing," he says. "I took a liking to the faculty, and the wide variety of aircraft the campus had in the hangar, and also the partnerships the College has with Air Canada, and Bombardier - I figured that's a good opportunity, because it gives the top students a chance to be hired straight after."
Funding their future
The Schulich Builders scholarship is brand new, and this batch of winners are among the first students to receive it. But first, they had to apply. Sultan was told about it by the College (thanks to filling out the Doorway to Dollars questionnaire), while Zayn found it through research. Both of them immediately realized the benefit, and applied as soon as they could.
"I had to write out a 150 word paragraph explaining why I thought I deserved the scholarship," Zayn says, "So I included details about my co-op placement, my summer job and my college experiences. And then after that, I had to get a letter of recommendation. So I reached out to the owner of VMO Aerospace, and he wrote me a really good letter explaining why he thought I deserved it."
"The essay is about why you're an ideal candidate, why you need it," Sultan explains. "I wrote about my work in the field that's around electrical work, and explained my passion for it. We also have to explain our financial situation and show why you really need that funding, which I did."
"I believe it worked because my passion for the skilled trades and my commitment to hard work was well-reflected in my application," he adds. And the judges certainly agreed.
"Winning was surreal, it was unbelievable," Sultan says. "I couldn't believe it. I got a call that morning, and she told me, congratulations, I'm one of the winners for the Schulich Builders, and I was just stunned, at a loss for words. I feel like I'm very blessed, and I'm thankful for the opportunity."
"When I first got the call from the College," Zayn says about his win, "I was just finishing up work at VMO, it was four o'clock, I think. And I was extremely happy, I told all my coworkers who were there, I thanked my boss who wrote me the letter of recommendation. I called my mom and all my close friends and told them the good news."
What's next?
The goal of the Schulich Scholarship is to provide students with a strong starting point for a career in the trades, so for Sultan and Zayn, this is just the beginning.
"Next, I look forward to graduating from the Electrical Techniques program," Sultan says, "and pursuing my career goals. So what's next for me right now is getting into an apprenticeship, because that's where the real work is."
"Right now I'm just striving for accreditation," Zayn said. "And this coming summer, I want to hopefully get a placement in the Work Integrated Learning program. Maybe I can be placed at Air Canada, or any sort of aircraft hangar in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) that can help me get good experience, logbook signatures, and something to help me towards my M2 license."
"I think it's a really good program, because it's a job that needs a lot of people," Zayn says. "It's very in demand. So for anybody who's curious about it, I think it's definitely something to look into. And I think everybody should apply for this scholarship. It's an amazing opportunity."
Written by: Anthony Geremia
