Each year, the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) hands out the Apprenticeship Awards. These awards recognize the men and women who scored highest on their tests and are the top new face in their field each year.
Yorkton saw two men awarded with Outstanding New Journeyperson Awards. Ryan Matte, powerline technician, and Bryden Dubiel both have been awarded with the Outstanding New Journeyperson Award.
Matte also took home other awards. He took the George Pellerin Memorial Scholarship and the SaskPower Outstanding New Journeyperson Award.
This year鈥檚 awards didn鈥檛 happen in person due to COVID-19, but the awards were presented to the recipients virtually.
鈥淥n behalf of the SATCC, I鈥檓 proud to congratulate this year鈥檚 Apprenticeship Award winners,鈥� SATCC Board Chair Drew Tiefenbach said in a release.聽 鈥淲hile I鈥檇 love to shake hands and meet this year鈥檚 winners face-to-face, I鈥檓 glad we鈥檙e still able to celebrate their accomplishments virtually.聽 These winners are integral to the success of Saskatchewan鈥檚 apprenticeship system and they deserve to be recognized.鈥�
Dubiel, one of the two Yorkton men recognized said it was exciting to find out that he was one of the award winners this year.
鈥淚t was pretty exciting, I really didn鈥檛 think I was going to get that high.鈥�
While he said the award is good to have on his resume, he has been at the shop where he works for a long time and isn鈥檛 looking for a new job. He said the rest of the shop was happy to see him get the award.
鈥淢ade one guy nervous because he was waiting for his results while I got this.鈥�
Dubiel admits he found out relatively late that he had received the award, because he was having issues with his email and didn鈥檛 receive the announcement right away.
Matte, the other local winner, is a new resident in Yorkton, having just started a new job in the city in August. He said he was surprised to get the awards, but that he feels pretty awesome to receive them. This is his second trade.
鈥淚 was pretty shocked. You go to school for four years and you meet a lot of smart people, there are a lot of sharp guys and girls in the trades. To get that, I was pretty impressed.鈥�
It has been a stressful year for Matte, not only dealing with COVID-19 like everyone else but also the stress of buying a house and moving to a new city in the middle of it.
鈥淪ometimes you almost cringe opening up your email or opening up the mail because you don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 coming鈥� This was actually a pretty pleasant surprise.鈥�
The scholarship is also a big help for Matte, and he expects that bills and fees will eat up most of it.
鈥淲hen you go through an apprenticeship, there鈥檚 always bills and fees, travel costs, living costs, and also not being at home, you have stuff at home you have to pay for. It also helps with that a lot.鈥�
Matte is now focused on the next part, and his new job.
鈥淭he big misconception with the trades is that once you鈥檙e done your four years, you鈥檙e done. Really, it鈥檚 just kind of the start.鈥�
Matte moved from Carlyle, where he did his training and took the tests. He鈥檚 pretty happy with his move so far. He鈥檚 impressed by the people in town, saying that everyone鈥檚 happy to help when they find out he鈥檚 new to the area. He鈥檚 also enjoying the opportunity to do outdoor activities like cross-country skiing.
鈥淚 think Yorkton is鈥� I don鈥檛 want to say 鈥榟idden gem鈥� because that鈥檚 very cliche, but it鈥檚 very underrated and under spoken for in the province.鈥�
