The Power of Education - A Tale of Success in Business and the Trades

Logan Henson has fond childhood memories of joining his dad on service calls to clients scattered across the beautiful Alberni Valley on Vancouver Island. The Red Seal certified refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic’s father Trevor was then a business partner and co-owner of Alberni Valley Refrigeration, a successful refrigeration and air conditioning company that’s been operating in Port Alberni since 1992. Logan’s decision to make a career in the skilled trades was somewhat preordained.

“My father said that I had to get my trades ticket before I did anything else but that once I earned my certification, I was free to do whatever I wanted, and I was okay with that,” explained Henson.

A Quick Trip

Logan got off to an early start, enrolling in the “Youth Train in Trades” and “Youth Work in Trades” programs offered at Alberni District Secondary School. SkilledTradesBC works with BC high schools to provide relevant training and paid work-based placement opportunities that prepare students for their chosen careers in the trades.

Eventually, Logan was hired on as an apprentice at his father’s business and completed his required training levels one through four at the Refrigeration Training Institute (formerly known as the Joint Apprentice Refrigeration Training School). It was a quick trip from first-year apprentice to certified journeyperson in just over three years. Logan credits the high school programs for accelerating his trades journey.

“I graduated high school in June of 2015 and gained my professional certification in September 2018. Without those programs I wouldn’t have been able to obtain the necessary hours to complete my apprenticeship so fast.” 

A Career Change

Soon after earning his ticket, Logan left his father’s company to check out the construction industry, but after working on a single-family home with a local contractor, he immediately returned to work at the family business. While he feels he’s well trained for the trades work he does, he has recently become more aware than ever of the importance of ongoing education for both tradespeople and the business owners that employ them.

“This past year, my two business partners and I completed a full buyout of the company from my father and his business partner. While the three of us are fully certified and experienced skilled tradespersons, we are now business owners and that isn’t something we were trained for. We understand that ongoing professional development and business training is critical to the future success of our business.”

In Pursuit of Knowledge

In preparation for the takeover, the new owners have spent the past three years searching for, and enrolling in, a variety of business and professional development courses, many of which are offered by BC post-secondary institutes. The launch of TradeUpBC (TUBC) has made the task much easier. While searching the TUBC website for information about sustainable business practices, Logan came across a short course titled Introduction to Sustainable Business Practices for Skilled Trades. It was free, so he signed up right away.

“I wasn’t sure if the course was exactly what we were looking for, but I thought if we get just one takeaway it would be worth the effort. Once I got into it, I was pleasantly surprised.”

It (the course) allowed significant time for attendees to share ideas about creating long-term sustainable environmental business plans and practices that could produce year-over-year revenue opportunities. The course also instructed Logan on how to implement these practices to build and enhance positive employer-employee relationships. This was the most important takeaway for Logan.

“We talked about how to sustain employees, not just with wages but through company events, how to create a team environment by demonstrating that each employee is truly valued, and how to accomplish it. I personally enjoyed this course and have already implemented two changes at our company. So yes, ongoing education is great!”

Ongoing Employee Education

Today, the company has 24 employees – 13 ticketed technicians, seven apprentices, and four support staff (Estimator, Scheduler, Parts, Bookkeeper). Providing ongoing training and skills upgrading for its staff, outside of the required apprenticeship programs, is an integral part of the company’s attraction and retention program and ensures both owners and employees keep up to date with the constant changes impacting the industry.

“So much has changed since I started working in this industry. Advancing technologies, new refrigerants, environmental impacts, government incentives, and ever evolving rules and regulations keep us on our toes. We try to hold weekly service meetings with our crews, enroll them in courses offered by our distributors, and sometimes pay for our tradespeople to take short skills upgrading and training courses, but it’s certainly a challenge to keep up with the rapid pace of change.”

Logan believes a career in the trades is a great option for those who like working with their hands, are curious and enjoy learning new things. Trades careers offer good pay, security, endless opportunities for advancement and the ability to leverage skills and experience into exciting new career pathways. Education is the key.

“If you’re an experienced tradesperson, business owner or employee, you really should consider enrolling in ongoing training and business development courses to prepare yourself for future career advancement, even on your own.”