Curtis Thomas, Continuing the Legacy of Community
Curtis Thomas, Continuing the Legacy of Community
Uplifting his community through apprenticeship and opportunity - Curtis is dedicated to mentoring and creating career pathways for his apprentices, staff and community to continue the legacy of his uncle and others that helped support his career.
Last year, we featured Curtis Thomas (owner and President of Warrior Plumbing), who spoke about what skilled trades means to him and why he strongly supports and advocates for youth apprenticeship. He got his skilled trades start after a conversation with his uncle, the late Chief Leonard George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, which provided him with the opportunities to learn a trade and advance his career, while contributing to the economic development of his community.
Watch Curtis talk about his skilled trades journey (from 0:26 – 11:20)
Years later, as a Red Seal Plumber and business owner, Curtis won the BC Achievement Foundation’s Indigenous Business Award in 2022. For Curtis, Warrior Plumbing is how he gives back to the communities that have supported him and facilitated his growth. He prioritizes hiring Indigenous staff and apprentices, especially from the communities they work in, so they’re continuing to uplift generations to come.
In our interview, he reflected,
"He [late uncle Chief Leonard George] said, ‘Hey, Curtis, I've heard you're doing well. I've heard you've completed a couple of years of your apprenticeship and very proud of you. And I want you to know that this is what it's all about…it is giving opportunities to our people… And one day, you know, you're going to have your own company and you're going to be running these projects over here.’
…And now I'm in a position today where we are trying to recruit and train and mentor my younger family, my cousins, the youth from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation here in our community… For me, and I say this highly, to be able to be a role model for them and to really, you know, do my part in planting that seed, in their heads, in their minds, that they too can be a journeyperson plumber."
(this has been condensed for brevity, watch the video above or at this link for the full quote)
Curtis is dedicated to mentoring and creating career pathways for his apprentices, staff and community so that they can continue the legacy of his uncle and others that helped support his own career evolution.
Photo attribution - BC Achievement Indigenous Business Award Recipient 2022 Warrior Plumbing
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