How will you start at SAIT? See how three students chose a career fit for them

Three years ago, TJ was at his desk crunching numbers, eager to transition into a more hands-on role. Hannah was considering a shift from her career as a chef to a more traditional 9-to-5 job. Luc was still in high school, thinking about his next steps.

Whether you’re a year or 10 out of high school, get inspired by three student stories that show SAIT has the program for the job you want.

Try out a trade and choose plumbing like TJ

After a few years working in accounting, TJ wanted to get back to working with his hands.

“A desk job just wasn’t for me. I realized I have to be moving around,” he says.

He did some research and landed on plumbing. The trade was especially attractive to TJ because plumber apprentices who complete all requirements for the program in Alberta receive not just one, but two journeyperson certificates — plumber and gasfitter.

Initially, TJ knew nothing about plumbing, so he took the 12-week pre-employment course at SAIT in 2021 to learn the fundamentals.

“I learned all the basics. I had no idea what was involved.”

TJ’s math background is coming in handy and coming to life in a trade’s context.

Next up, TJ found a journeyman to mentor him, and began the apprenticeship program at SAIT.

🤔 Curious about how apprenticeships work? This article breaks it down.

Once he has his Red Seal, TJ’s hoping to get his Blue Seal Certificate through SAIT’s School of Continuing Education and Professional Studies in order to build his own business focused on residential homes.

At the end of the day, TJ likes plumbing because he enjoys his time at work. And, as he says, that’s what matters most.

If you’re on the fence about trying a trade, TJ has some advice: “Give it a shot! You’ll find out if it’s your thing – you’ll know pretty quick.”

🔧 TJ’s Plumber program flow

• During the eight weeks of classroom instruction in year two, TJ spends his time learning about heating, plumbing and venting systems.
• Shop class is where he applies the learning by doing the work, grading things according to code and setting up the plumbing system in a mockup of a single-family dwelling (minus the glue used on the job).
• Along with the eight weeks spent in class, TJ will need to complete 1,560 hours of on-the-job training as part of his apprenticeship.

Connect your passion to a career like Luc

A day in the life for Luc in Nunavut often involves a snowmobile.

His journey to SAIT was sparked in his final year of high school, when he purchased a 2012 Ford Escape in need of some TLC. With a little help from his father, he fixed it up — and, in the process, realized he enjoyed working with cars. Shortly after graduating he started the two-year Business Administration Automotive Management program at SAIT.

The program is designed to provide an understanding of the automotive industry and how different parts of the business work together. Before starting the program, he says he wasn’t sure it would live up to his expectations.

“I was scared I wouldn’t like it,” he says. “I was scared it would be something I would have no interest in.”

Now, he says he’s excited to see where he’ll go, and is especially looking forward to his second year, when he can tackle a capstone project with an automotive company. During his capstone, he’ll get to analyze the business’s existing processes and present his findings to help address challenges.

Currently in his first year, Luc’s favourite class is Automotive Technology because it delves into the different components of a vehicle. Slightly more challenging, he says, are the business classes where more math is involved, but it’s nothing he can’t manage.

Given the high cost of purchasing snowmobiles in Nunavut, Luc dreams of working with a snowmobile business and helping provide more affordable access to snowmobiles in his home community.

The Business Administration Automotive Management program, he explains, is great for anyone interested in learning more on the business side of vehicles.

🚘 Tracking training time with Luc in Automotive Management

• Luc sometimes has an 8 am class, but if he doesn’t, he might set the alarm a little later and use the morning to study.
• Aside from tackling general business courses like Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, the curriculum also includes introductory courses on automotive technology, the automotive industry and the auto aftermarket.
• A big perk of the program is a paid summer work practicum, which connects students to the industry.

Pivot careers to help people like Hannah

Ten years ago, Hannah came to SAIT to become a chef.

Her career took her to many restaurants in Calgary and to adventures abroad. She had gigs as a private chef in Germany and plated up dishes near mountain peaks in ski lodges across Europe.

When the pandemic hit, she started thinking about what her future might look like. A job in healthcare seemed like the perfect fit for her new five-year plan, which focused heavily on stability and work-life balance.

Though she initially wanted to pursue an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and find work in medical sales, a four-year commitment to studying didn’t align with her goals. That’s when SAIT’s one-year Ophthalmic and Optometric Assisting certificate caught her eye.

“My ophthalmologist is really freaking cool,” she says. “She taught me a lot about diabetic retinopathy — a complication of diabetes where blood vessels in the eye are damaged — and caring for your eyes, and everything about diabetes.”

As a Type 1 diabetic, Hannah knows the disease impacts eyesight over time and wants to empower individuals living with similar conditions to know they can manage and live their best lives with the diagnosis.

Coming to the program as a more mature student, 27-year-old Hannah’s perspective is different from when she pursued the culinary program fresh out of high school.

“You learn to appreciate free time so much more, and you use it well,” says Hannah. “It’s nice coming back when you experience a lot more and realize, ‘okay, I really want to do this.’”

Hannah’s practicum will be at a clinic in Calgary. She hopes to work in a similar clinic in the future, somewhere that’s a leader in vision care, working with retinal detachments, glaucoma and intraocular lens implants, which are artificial lenses for the eyes to replace natural ones.

She credits SAIT with providing her the fundamentals and training to succeed in a career as an ophthalmic assistant.

👁️ A peek into a week for Hannah in the Ophthalmic and Optometric Assisting program

• In her first semester, Hannah had classes Tuesday to Friday, which covered the fundamentals, including ocular anatomy, pharmacology and human anatomy.
• Now, in her second semester, she gets Wednesdays off and appreciates having mostly morning classes. Her favourite is Assisting Surgical Procedures, where she’s learning about surgical skills, including types of surgeries, instruments and associated pharmacology.
• If she’s not in class, she’ll often pick up shifts in restaurants.

Find your own path

You don’t need a family member in the plumbing industry to pursue it yourself. Like TJ, you can follow this recipe: pick a trade, learn the ABCs of the craft in SAIT’s pre-employment course, get connected to a journeyman, and do the four-year requirements to get your Red Seal endorsements.

In two years, you can complete the Business Administration Automotive Management diploma, get access to a paid work term and connect to job opportunities once you graduate.

If you’re looking to jump right in, take a year to achieve a certificate in Ophthalmic and Optometric Assisting.

Or, find your own path!

Start at SAIT

Whether you want to make a difference, build a business or turn your passion into a career, you can start at SAIT.  Information sessions