Most students, typically, follow a similar path and approach. Graduate high school, then focus on your post-secondary career.
But Hunter Sywenky took a path less travelled.
Before he received his high school diploma, the then Hudson Bay teen had a different piece of paper designating his education — his completed Millwright certificate at Cumberland College.
“I finished school early so I wanted to get in as soon as possible to start my trade,” Hunter told Suncrest College. “I was done High School in January. So, then I went straight to Cumberland in February.
“I got my Industrial Mechanics certificate first, and then I got my diploma for my graduation.”
Hunter said his father received his Journeyman certificate back when he was born, roughly 20 years ago. He saw the ins and outs of the trades even before he thought about his future steps.
“I just followed in his footsteps. He showed me what he did, and it was pretty cool — I went with that,” he said.
The Industrial Mechanics course runs 16 weeks in Nipawin, allowing students to learn in a close-knit setting, an environment Hunter said he thrived in.
“In the shop, we learned about all the different types of metals … we did a bunch of hands-on stuff with what we're going to use to fit in the field. Then in the classroom, we went over the tools, (the maths) and how to do alignments,” he explained.
“It is a good learning environment, I liked that. It was a small class so you could get to know everyone.”
Hunter is now practicing his trade as part of the crew building the new Cargill Canola Crush Plant in Regina. Looking back, he wouldn’t change a thing when it came to his schooling, and the ability to be done post-secondary before his high school graduating class walked the stage.
“It’s pretty cool. It's nice to be able to have it all done all at once and then go straight to working,” Hunter said. “It’s a great career.”
Suncrest College is now looking for applicants for the Industrial Mechanics program in Nipawin. Applications are now open, and prospective students can apply on our website at SuncrestCollege.ca. For more information on the application process, you can start here: https://suncrestcollege.ca/fut...
