Wage Subsidy program helps Armstrong tradesperson hit the gas on her career

As a first-year gas-fitter apprentice handing out resumes in Kelowna two years ago, Ashley West felt like she wasn’t being taken seriously by potential employers. Some threw her resume in the garbage before she even opened the door; others encouraged her to consider the secretary job.

“That was difficult, being a tradeswoman and especially not being fully certified,” says West. And yet, she’d grown up on a farm near Armstrong and was no stranger to hard work or hands-on skills. She’s tall, a self-identified “bean pole,” but she’s used to lifting 100-pound saddles and guiding 2,000-pound animals. By the time she was looking for an employer to take her on as a first-year apprentice while she completed her trades training at Okanagan College, she’d already spent several months job-shadowing a friend who owned a mechanical company in the North Okanagan. In short, she was more than capable.

“Then I applied at Border, and they treated me no differently than any other trades person. I had an interview that day and they said, ‘If you can get approved for the Wage Subsidy program, we can hire you.’”

Through the Wage Subsidy program, about half of West’s wages were covered for the first 24 weeks of her full-time employment. She also qualified to receive nearly $1,000 worth of tools such as multi-meters and refrigerant hoses—tools that would have been incredibly expensive as an apprentice.

“That was a really big help for the government to say, no, you’re learning, let’s help you out.”

The job interview was nearly two years ago, and West has been working at Border Plumbing and Heating in Kelowna ever since.

“It was nice to find Border. I knew I just had to keep trying. I love what I do so much, I know my job inside and out, and I am amazing with customers, so I knew they were the ones missing out,” says West, who went on to complete her second year of trades training and apprenticeship, and stay on with Border.

“I am so happy with the position I’ve found myself in. The company I work for has been great with everything, and I’m so proud of myself for achieving my B-class ticket.

That doesn’t mean she still doesn’t have to overcome stereotypes. Sometimes when customers open the door and see West on the step, they ask if she’s sure she can do this.

“I don’t take it personally or to heart. I just prove to them I know my job and can explain anything ,and I will leave their equipment better than I found it and better than the last guy found it. I think of it like I am clearing the brush for the other women who will follow…there are women in trades everywhere.”

Being a certified gas-fitter is now just part of who West is. She leaves Armstrong bright and early, and dispatches herself from the shop in Kelowna at 8 am to head out on the first of five calls each day. Throughout the day, she sees it all: brand-new appliances malfunctioning to furnaces in their golden years “that sound like a train is coming through the house.” As she analyzes the stage of an appliance’s malfunction, she draws on everything she learned in the classroom over two years and in strangers’ basements ever since.

Looking back, West says she’s incredibly grateful for the support of the Wage Subsidy program. “I think it’s a great experience that benefits both the employee and the employer so much.”

WorkBC North Okanagan helps employers and job-seekers reach their goals through a range of services, including learning and workshops, Wage Subsidy placements, job search resources, employment counselling, job fairs and more. The Vernon office is located at 3105 33 Street and is now supporting clients both in-person and virtually.