THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
In January, Chelsea Bradbury of Fort Smith started on the road to a new career as an apprentice electrician.

Chelsea Bradbury is an apprentice electrician working with CAB Construction Ltd. in Fort Smith. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

For some people, that might not come as a big surprise, since she is the stepdaughter of Craig Browne, the majority owner of CAB Construction Ltd., and grew up around tradespeople.

However, the 22-year-old said while that helped introduce her to the trades, it was not the main factor when she decided on a career.

Instead, she pointed to twice participating in the trades awareness week held each year at Aurora College in Fort Smith for high school students from around the South Slave.

"I think that was really the thing that made me fall in love with it, actually being able to go and spend a week doing stuff," she said, noting that was when she was in Grade 10 and 11, and considering a different career as a lawyer or a writer.

"I did welding and mechanics and computer sciences and a whole bunch of other stuff," she said of the trades awareness week experience.

One year, the focus of the week was just welding, she recalled. "It was so much fun."

As a member of Browne's family, she was always comfortable around the trades and seeing people do such work, said Bradbury.

"I'm very grateful for all the opportunities he's given me," she said, adding she is not surprised to end up in the trades. "I am very happy with being in the trades."

Since high school, Bradbury did a year of schooling for both welding and mechanics, and is a registered apprentice for both.

"I went to school for them in Kelowna, British Columbia, and just tried them out, and didn't love mechanics and loved welding, but it just didn't really work out," she explained.

She decided to switch to electrical from welding because of a concern about the availability of work in the latter field.

"Unless you get a job up at the mines, there's not a whole lot of steady work for it in the North," she said of welding, although noted she would still like to become a certified welder after studying electrical.

Once an apprenticeship opened up in electrical, she jumped at the opportunity, she said. "I kind of fell in love with it."

An apprenticeship is usually a four-year process of on-the-job experience and schooling leading to certification in a trade.

Bradbury is not yet sure where she will attend college as part of the apprenticeship.

"Right now, I love that there's always something new to do pretty much every day," she said of the on-the-job part of her apprenticeship and working with journeyman electrician Kim Beaudriault.

"My journeyman is awesome, and that really helps when you start an apprenticeship," said Bradbury. "I mean, I've known him most of my life. He works for CAB, so I've always known him and he's always been just one of the smartest men I've ever known."

Beaudriault also started out as an apprentice with CAB Construction.

Currently, Bradbury and Beaudriault are renovating a section of the McDougal Centre.

Bradbury said there are many things she enjoys about working in the trades.

"I hate sitting down," she said. "So, honestly, something working with your hands has really always appealed to me."

It's always fast paced, she added. "It's pretty much always fun. You meet some great people. You are always learning."

Bradbury said she is sometimes asked to speak to young women in high school about the opportunities for females in the trades, although she struggles with what to say to them because that type of work is not for everybody and it can be difficult in a male-dominated trade.

"It depends on who you work with, where you work," she said.

"You kind of have to have tough skin sometimes. But if you can handle it, it's amazing."

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