SASKATOON—Kaitie Cornea enjoyed her job at a car dealership, where she learned the ropes of sales, paint restoration and auto detailing. Then COVID-19 happened, and she was one of the hundreds of thousands of employees laid off across various industries worldwide. Luckily, she had other skills to fall back on.
“You buy a vehicle and get it sparkling new and clean—that was me. [Detailing] was a passion of mine. I love detailing, and it is my favourite thing in the world. But you can’t get very far. I just felt a little bit stuck,” said Cornea.
“Then COVID happened, and I was laid off. It was almost a blessing, as if the universe told me: ‘Hey, it’s time to move on.’ I renewed my safety tickets and used the skills I learned in the [High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program].”
She saw an online ad for a subcontractor looking for a helper with siding and floor installation. She got the job, gained experience and in late fall 2021, started her own business, KC Flooring, based in Swift Current.
“I started as an employee, and my subcontractor was good to me. He was a hard man to work for, but if you're working for someone hard on you in the right ways, you learn those peculiar skills. You're taught to see the stuff that nobody else sees,” said Cornea.
“Your client wants to be happy with your installation work. The skills I learned while working for the subcontractor and under tough conditions allowed me to become the business owner I am today.”
Cornea got into trades in Grade 11 at Centennial Collegiate when she learned Saskatoon Public Schools offered HCAP at Mount Royal Collegiate. Curious, she took the six-credit course under the guidance of now-retired teacher Ross Johnson.
Her rural roots introduced her to manual labour, where she first learned to handle tools and do other daily chores for tending the farm.
“In a program like this, there’s no expectation on you other than to learn. I entered the trades, obviously, through HCAP. I’m a small-town kid. I was a farm kid. HCAP got my foot in the door—you’ve held a speed square, you’ve held drills,” said Cornea.
“I renewed all my safety tickets with the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre in the same HCAP building. I was able to come back and see the shop again and spend time there. It pulls you back into nostalgia.”
She laments how some people once viewed jobs in the trades as a fallback option for students who struggled in other high school courses. However, that perception has shifted, and she is pleased to see more women breaking social norms and entering the industry.
“Those tables are turning. You must be on top of your game in the trades. It’s competitive. It will push you to be your best self and keep up. The diversity I’m seeing in the trades right now—a lot more women and individuals from minority groups—is refreshing. It’s fantastic,” said Cornea.
Now, she gives back to the program that helped her start a business by spending a week or two teaching high school students, primarily in Grades 11 and 12, who are considering pursuing a career in the trades after graduation.
“At this stage in life, in high school, you’ve got so many options. You are offered many things: go to university if it benefits you and get that degree under your belt. Or pursue the trades—there’s fantastic work and good money in the trades. Follow your passions,” said Cornea.
“You feel a little bit lost at this time in your life. When I come back here every year, I see different students. Spending time with them for a week or two lets me connect with these kids, learn their stories and get to know them. My goal while I’m here is to I connect with students to make someone feel like they can and they have an option.”
