NKBA’s 30 Under 30 program spotlights standout young professionals who serve as the voice of the next generation of the kitchen and bath industry. With the call for nominations for the 2018 class of 30s now open, we sat down with a couple of recent alumni to talk skilled trade careers and the importance of NKBA’s Trade UP Initiative.
We recently checked in with Michael Laurysen, a third-generation, custom cabinet maker at Laurysen Kitchens, located in the Ontario town of Stittsville.
Laurysen started out in his family’s business at 13, when he would catch parts at the end of a production machine. During high school, he enrolled in a CAD design class and other shop-related courses and later earned a bachelor’s degree in wood products processing and a minor in commerce from the University of British Columbia. He completed his education on the job, working his way up from the factory floor to shipping and receiving to machine operation. Finally, ending up in the managerial position he holds today.
Laurysen is passionate about the work he does and avidly supports the trades in Canada. And though he’s benefited from staying in the family business, he realizes that working in the trades isn’t always the most popular path. There’s a stigma attached to those who opt out of the traditional route of attending a four-year university.
“I chose a building trade for my career largely due to my firsthand shop experience from working in my family’s business,” he says. “Many students today don’t enroll in or have access to high school shop, automotive or industrial design courses that offer exposure to these vocational options.”
In fact, he believes a lot of people are actually turned off by the effort it takes to enter these lucrative careers. “You have to work hard and learn the skills — sort of the caveat there.”
It didn’t come as a complete surprise when Laurysen said the biggest barrier he faces at work is a lack of skilled installers. According to Laurysen, cabinet making is becoming increasingly automated and isn’t a sought-after career path. So, skilled installers who can work outside of the shop are in high demand. Laurysen Kitchens is able to find prospective employees from a local college that offers cabinet and woodworking programs — an advantage most companies don’t have.
Some last words of advice from Laurysen? “I would like to see more teenagers take the opportunity to experience a co-op, internship or summer job in the manufacturing, construction or building trades so they can experience the gratification of building and creating things from scratch.”
We couldn’t agree more. Firsthand experience and skills training are valuable tools in bringing out that inner plumber, designer, carpenter or plant manager. All it takes is a little honest work and a whole lot of love.
>>Visit Laurysen Kitchen’s website here.
We also talked to Adi Bansal, a general manager at Valley Acrylic in Mission, British Columbia.
Like Laurysen, Bansal grew up in a trade family, plumbing was apparently in his genes. Bansal’s father was a plumber for 24 years, ultimately opening his own retail plumbing store. And though Bansal pursued a construction internship while in high school, it wasn’t a great fit. So, he completed the Red Seal plumbing program to gain his Journey Certification. (The Red Seal is the national standard of excellence for skilled trades in Canada.)
After three years of training and labor, Bansal joined Valley Acrylic, where he has been for the past seven years, and began doing side work for the Piping Industry Apprenticeship Board (PIAB). His role as general manager extends to customer service as well, which Bansal excels at. He enjoys connecting with customers and providing them with solid, helpful information and great service.
The company’s location, Mission, is a small town located about 90 minutes from Vancouver, posing a challenge when it comes to finding skilled workers. Bansal mainly hires workers from the local trade schools. The coursework, however, mainly focuses on unrelated fields like auto body mechanics instead of plumbing. Like other companies in this situation, Bansal does not have many other options, an issue the NKBA is ready to take on.
>> Visit Valley Acrylics website here.
The lack of available courses and exposure to the trades is just one barrier the NKBA hopes to tackle with its TradeUP initiative. This new program is aimed at addressing the skilled labor shortage, changing the negative connotations associated with the trades and inspiring students to seek a vocational career.
Read more about NKBA’s TradeUP initiative here.
