Ryan Trebick: Making the Most of His Career Choice
“I know the future is bright for young boilermakers,” says the 28-year-old Saskatoon resident. “We’re constantly being reminded that a lot of older boilermakers will be retiring in the years to come, opening up new job opportunities for people like me. The thing is, while it’s exciting to think about the future, I want to learn more about the trade before I think about moving ahead. I’m busy, there’s no stress, I love the work and I’m making good money. That’s a pretty good situation to be in.”
If Ryan likes the situation he’s in, it’s because he’s worked hard to bring it about. “I’ve been lucky, too” he adds quickly. “When I moved to British Columbia (to join his brother), there was lots of work. And I was also able to find the time to take a six-month entry-level course for boilermakers at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby.”
By the time he graduated, the demand for boilermakers in B.C. had dropped off. As a result, six months later Ryan opted to return to Saskatchewan. “I got a big break in that I got credit in Saskatchewan for the courses I had taken in B.C.,” he says. “All I had to do was pass and entrance exam and I could go to work.”
That’s exactly what Ryan did, becoming a journeyperson in November of 2002. Since then, he’s not only worked steadily, he’s often being sought out for his strong work ethic. “Again, I’ve been lucky,” he says. “I’ve always worked with a good crew.”
It may seem that Ryan comes by his skills honestly—his father is a long-time boilermaker—but he insists that no one ever pushed him to become a boilermaker. “We never talked about it when I was growing up,” Ryan recalls. Still, it appears he inherited many of his father’s skills, including a love of construction work and an ability to work with his hands.
“I like my job a lot,” says Ryan, “and I’m happy that I got into it when I did. Right now, there’s a lot of older, more experienced guys that young people like me can learn from.”