Red seal of approval
Rankin Inlet youth earns electrician's ticket by age 22
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
RANKIN INLET
Brandon Oolooyuk, 22, of Rankin Inlet knew he wanted to be an electrician at a young age.
Brandon Oolooyuk, 22, of Rankin Inlet displays the diplomas he picked up on his way to becoming a red-seal certified electrician in Rankin Inlet in January. - photo courtesy of Sandra Oolooyuk |
And, by the time he'd completed high school, he'd also finished his first year of realizing that goal.
This past month, his dream became reality when he completed his fourth year of study to become a red-seal certified electrician.
Oolooyuk began training to be an electrician with the Rankin Inlet Housing Association at the age of 18, while still attending Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik in Rankin.
He said while taking an entrepreneurship program in Grade 10, he told his teacher he was going to become an electrician.
"I was really interested in electricity and how it works," said Oolooyuk.
"I don't know why, but the thought of having a career as an electrician really appealed to me.
"The school was good enough to let me start my apprenticeship while in Grade 12, and I knew there was a job opening in town while finishing high school, so it all just, sort of, worked out from there."
Oolooyuk began his journey to become an electrician in June of 2012, and obtained his tickets in January of 2017.
An average day during his first year would see him punch into work for a few hours, punch out and attend school, finish his school classes for the day and return to work until 5 p.m.
Oolooyuk said there was a lot of extra work he did in the evenings during that year.
He completed the first two years of the four-year program at Rankin's trade school, before heading to Grande Prairie Regional College in Alberta for year three, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton for his fourth, and final, year.
Today he works full time for Sakku Properties in Rankin – a job offer he received less than an hour after receiving his journeyman's ticket – and he said he intends to continue on with that for a few years before looking at other options.
"I'm going to be in Rankin for awhile, but I'm always open to new things and I wouldn't mind working in Europe, or some other country, for a year to see what it's like," said Oolooyuk.
"I want to, one day, also obtain my gold seal, so we'll see how things work out and what might be ahead for me.
"I've read up a bit on the gold seal, but I haven't gotten right into the details of what the qualifications are just yet.
"But I do know that's what I want to do."
Oolooyuk said he owes a lot of thanks to his parents, Sandra and Bobby Oolooyuk, for all their support, as well as MUI principal Jesse Payne and teacher Tim Eccles for all they did in helping him obtain his goals.
He said a growing number of youth are becoming more aware of the opportunities that exist within the trades, but it remains to be seen how many are willing to put the time in to obtain their goals, especially when it comes to time away from home.
"It takes four years of schooling, with each year being between seven to nine months of studies.
"It's just time, but it seems to stop a lot of people because they think they'd rather do something else than attend school for those four years and they're put off by having to go away from home for a year or two, which can be tough.
"There are lots of opportunities out there, and a lot of young people think about trying, but I guess they just don't want to put the time and effort into it.
"Red-seal journeymen are highly sought after and anybody can do it if they really want to, but they have to be willing to put the effort in and spend a little time away from home.
"It's well worth the effort!"
