Legacy of learning: A donor’s commitment to apprenticeship training
When Motive Action Training Foundation (MAT) closed its doors in 2021, co-founder Karl Herzog and the Foundation’s volunteer board members were determined to find a way to continue MAT’s legacy of helping people take their first steps into a career in the trades. Established by Herzog and his brother in 1985, MAT was a Calgary-based non-profit training organization that operated for 36 years and provided pre-employment training opportunities for unemployed people between 18 and 30. MAT helped more than 3,000 individuals throughout the organization’s lifetime through invaluable learning experiences and industry connections.
In 2021, the Foundation lost critical funding, and the difficult decision was made to wind down operations. After operations ceased, MAT was left with unspent cash assets. To honour the work of MAT and its impact on helping young people find success in the trades, Herzog and the board considered existing and long-term options to use the remaining assets. They soon found SAIT to be an institution that aligned with MAT’s goals and values and that could continue his work of helping young people.
“Successful Motive Action grads went on for their apprenticeship training at SAIT. By taking pre-employment training at SAIT, hopefully, there will be a continuity formed that further assists students in succeeding,” says Herzog. “The board and I were very familiar with SAIT, so there was really no question as to which organization we would support.”
After discussions with SAIT’s School for Manufacturing and Automation and School of Transportation, the Foundation’s board decided to use $450,000 to establish an endowment fund for student scholarships. The fund would provide financial aid through eight annual awards for SAIT students in a pre-employment apprenticeship program such as Auto Body Technician, Automotive Service Technician and Recreation Vehicle Service Technician.
“This gift from Motive Action provides invaluable funding to our pre-employment students who often have financial barriers before they enter SAIT,” shares George Rhodes, Associate Dean, Trades, SAIT School of Manufacturing and Automation. “These kinds of awards provide much-needed financial relief to pre-employment students as they have to fully fund their tuition, while apprentices will receive employer assistance.”
The first scholarships to be awarded in honour of MAT will likely be administered during the 2025/26 academic year.
When he reflects on how these awards will carry on MAT’s legacy, Herzog shares, “The endowment will help people access training in the trades and hopefully provide some encouragement. I hope the awards will provide meaningful financial support and encouragement to the recipients … and to the recipient, I would say ‘work hard to make the best use of the support that has been given to you, and when you are in the workplace, pay forward the assistance you received by helping other young workers to succeed.’”
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.