Ask a boilermaker what he or she likes most about their job and you generally get the same three or four answers. There’s the travel, the camaraderie, the pride that comes with creating something tangible from raw materials, and, of course, the high wages.

Now you can add one more item to that list, compliments of boilermakers like Regina’s Brett McWilliams. “It’s sharing what you know with others,” says the 42-year journeyperson. “Whether it’s on the job, through the union or in the classroom, helping your co-workers is a big part of this job—and one of the most satisfying ones.”

Over the years, Brett has been on both sides of that equation. In 1994, he had the support of his family, his union local and his co-workers as he won the first-ever National Boilermaker Apprenticeship competition in Vancouver. Two years later, he was ready to say no to his first opportunity to act as a foreman on the job because he felt he might not be ready for the challenge. No problem, a co-worker told him, “you take the job and I’ll help you get through.” Brett did—and so did his co-worker.

Little wonder Brett picked up the phone a year later to share what he had learned with Kem Frederikson of Edmonton, the region’s representative in that year’s competition. “I knew Kem would have to go through a lot of prep work and a lot of studying if he was going to do well,” says Brett. “I just thought it might help to tell him what to expect, especially if he went on to represent Canada at the North American Champions in the States.”

Kem did win the Canadian competition. Six months later, he would go on to become the first Canadian ever to win the North American title.

Winning the apprenticeship competition opened a lot of doors for both men. For example, Brett says he’s had more opportunities to take on supervisory positions and to do more technical work. “But what it really did,” he says today, “was encourage me to learn more about the trade. One of the great things about being a boilermaker is the fact that there are so many training opportunities available. Over the past few years, I’ve taken courses to improve my blueprint reading and welding.”

Brett has also remained active in the union. “It’s a small union,” he says, “but it’s very professional. It is also,” he adds with pride, “the kind of place where everybody helps everybody else.”