Instructor Testimonials

"Workers require the same basic skills today as they did yesterday, but tomorrow they will need to develop those skills even further. The obvious essential skills such as reading, writing, and math, have been talked about endlessly, but what about the not so obvious ones such as continuous learning, document use, and thinking skills? Learning, fine tuning, and using these skills gives the employee an advantage over his or her peers. Better problem solving techniques, better critical thinking and finding information methods are all key tools to keep on top of one`s chosen field. We are integrating these essential skills into our programs to make sure our students can lay the foundation to be their best."

Barry Donaldson UA PIC Programme Resource Co-ordinator

“I believe the essential skills are the building blocks of a good tradesperson. Whether it’s math, drafting, blueprint reading, visualization, or organizational skills; each skill is a very important aspect of the trades. You can be the most reliable hardworking person out there, but if you don’t have the essential skills needed, it is difficult to reach your full potential as a good tradesperson.”

Rob Dhensaw UA PIC Sprinkler Instructor

“The essential skills are absolutely necessary in all parts of life and, unfortunately, they been downplayed for future tradesmen and tradeswomen. Material shopping, laying down pipe, and working with gas and water pressures all require essential skills. For example, if you are lacking in reading skills, you won’t be able to understand how to begin the installation of the water closet (toilet), let alone understand the associated mathematics, since the math is presented in a written form. Even simple blue print readings require the knowledge of both language and math. It is important that students are taught these basics so that they can begin to understand how their chosen trade works and build on a solid foundation.”

Pavel Pajger UA PIC Plumbing Instructor

“Essential skills in the workplace are the most important component of a tradesman’s skill set. It’s the one thing that sets the tradesman apart from the wannabes. A tradesman has to be multi-talented to be successful in his or her chosen trade. We cannot take essential skills for granted – people forget that the trades are not only physical jobs, but include a large component of planning and technical knowledge acquired from having solid essential skills background.”

Glenn Wong UA PIC Plumbing Instructor