Investing in the Future: How Knappett Projects Inc. Champions Apprenticeship  

Interview with Ryan Thran, Red Seal Carpenter and General Superintendent with Knappett Projects Inc., Northern Division

Ryan Thran is a big supporter of youth apprenticeship. In his 33 years at Knappett Projects Inc., he’s helped mentor and develop dozens of apprentices into certified journeypersons and wants to see more. As a Red Seal Carpenter, he has gone through the apprenticeship pathway with Knappett himself and hopes he can inspire others to take on an apprenticeship. 

Knappett Projects is a general contracting firm on Vancouver Island that runs a broad variety of projects from residential to infrastructure. From an apprenticeship perspective, they primarily support carpentry and offer apprentices a wide variety of experiences and worksites to gain nuanced knowledge.  

The company has a great relationship with the regional (Comox Valley and surrounding area) school districts and host numerous students for work experience as well as site visit tours. Ryan also delivers informational sessions in the region’s schools, letting students know about the opportunities in carpentry, construction industry and the skilled trades. 

“About ten years ago we got involved with the school boards up here in order to foster relationships to promote apprenticeships coming out of the schools and into the trades. And we've probably had about 45, 55 kids now into apprenticeships. Basically, we bring them in for work experience, for their component for schools, and then we hire them after they go to school. 

And then after three months, they automatically apprentice for us. Whether they stay with us or not, we want them into the field and registered.” 

From the managerial side, Ryan recognizes firsthand the challenge of finding good staff, and Knappett prioritizes bringing students in to help develop their skilled trade workforce.  

“There hasn't been enough effort made over the previous decades to ensure a steady flow of experienced tradespeople into the industry. We generate our own steady stream of tradespeople, and we're really noticing the lack of skilled trades.  

It’s a little self-serving because we are a very good company, well respected, with a great reputation. So, many Youth Program participants and students want to come work for us. It helps us get workers in local areas and build our own staff.” 

One of the reasons Knappett is so well-regarded as a sponsor employer is that they actively build towards the work interests of the apprentice. If an apprentice has an affinity for a particular kind of project or specialization, they are given those opportunities to explore and excel. 

“We want young apprentices to come into an environment where they feel comfortable and respected. The first thing we ask is, 'What do you expect to get out of this? Is there anything in particular you see yourself leaning towards?'  If one of the students says, ‘I want to be a finisher’, great. We assign them to finishers. You have to keep their enthusiasm going, and that's what we try to do.” 
 

For employers who might be hesitant to take on youth apprentices, Ryan emphasizes the long-term benefits to the construction industry.  

“The benefits of this program are only going to boost the industry for the years to come. And without engagement with this program, it won't develop and thrive. It needs to be able to adapt to where the industry is going.” 
 

For students looking toward a future in skilled trades, Ryan highlights the advantages of starting early in a Youth Program and having the ability to branch out into different areas of work and let it be a stepping stone in a career.  

“The nicest thing about starting these trades is you graduate high school at 17, you already have your first year theory and time completed. You come out of high school starting as a second year apprentice. By the time you're 20-21, like I was, you're a full-fledged Red Seal carpenter," Ryan said.   

"The nice thing about that is you always have the opportunity to change careers. If you want to go to university, you have that ticket behind you, allowing you to get a good paying job in the summers earn money. The trades ticket never goes away—it's a ticket for life. Especially with the with Canadian Red Seal, which is respected worldwide, it gives apprentices a better opportunity to earn higher wage at an early age. It allows them to learn more about life and possibly change direction later.” 

Strengthen your workforce, invest in the future, and continue a proud tradition. You can do all this – and much more- by sponsoring an apprentice.