An innovative partnership between Fusion Collegiate, The Educational Partnership Foundation, and Local 110 is turning out skilled, eager apprentices in mechanical insulation
By Jessica Kirby
Abafra Bashir, 18, works in Fort McMurray as a mechanical insulator for Thomas Kanata Inc. He came to the industry through the Skilled Trades Accelerator Program at Calgary’s Fusion Collegiate when the school’s principal and co-founder Bradey Thompson came to Abafra’s high school looking for students interested in careers in trades.
“He said employers in Alberta were looking for tradespersons,” Bashir says. “I like hands-on work, so I accepted the offer and went to the training.”
Fusion Collegiate in partnership with The Educational Partnership Foundation (TEPF) works with students 18 and 19 years old to complete upgrading and trades training that leads to employment. In the mechanical insulation trade, Heat and Frost Insulators Local 110 delivers an accelerated eight-week training program that ensures graduates are job-ready, and students receive support, upgrading, and high school credits through Fusion Collegiate.
“We tell the students, ‘The training is your eight-week interview’,” Thompson says. “So, you have to have a good attitude, show up, and be responsible. These are good students, and they are eager to work.”
Of the ten students that completed the program recently, eight are working as first-year insulators, and three are at Thomas Kanata Insulation. “These kids have come from some difficult backgrounds, but they are thriving,” Thompson says.
Abdirashid Deef, 19, also trained through Fusion and is two months into his position at Thomas Kanata. Since he was ten years old, Abdirashid has been mechanically inclined. “I have always had a good understanding of how I could make things work better,” he says. “I used to fix things at home, like sockets, outlets, and the stove. I also have a good mathematical understanding of how to solve problems.”
He was drawn to and enjoys mechanical insulation because insulators are “always thinking and they often use math.”
At first, Abdirashid struggled a bit with learning the tape measure and how insulation works. “Now I can work with insulation and do a great job,” he says. “I have to give a shout out to my instructors at Local 110, Kassy and Dennis, Mr. Thompson, and my foreman Marcin, who always makes me feel confident about my skills and tries to push me forward.”
The mechanical insulation training includes safety certification, like fall arrest, elevated platform, asbestos awareness, and others. “We also taught them about camp life, what to do in the evening, what to do if they encounter difficulties, what to pack, what to do if they are lonely, all the pieces Thomas says are challenges for them,” Thompson says. “We also took the students out and purchased the tools they required so finances wouldn’t be a barrier.”
Angel Lawrence Dessus Day Chief is 19 and was born and raised in Calgary. He became involved with Fusion Collegiate when his high school guidance counsellor advised that it might be a good opportunity. “The more time I spent at Fusion, the more I enjoyed learning and achieving all my tickets,” he says. “And as I learned about my trade, I soon realized it was a good fit for me.”
At first, Angel struggled with transitioning from student to full-time camp worker with Thomas Kanata. “Maybe it was being away from my family,” he says. “I do enjoy travel and my work, though. I just appreciate that I’m able to do something I enjoy.”
Government programs a win-win-win
Kyle Sippola, operations manager at Thomas Kanata, says government-subsidized programs like Fusion Collegiate are a win-win-win for students, contractors, and the construction industry.
“There is clearly a lack of skilled tradespeople in Western Canada, so these types of programs are a way employers can invest in the workforce and young people can become indentured apprentices, which is good for the long run in Canada,” he says.
Many recruitment programs are focused on students in their senior year or as they are leaving high school, which Sippola says might be too late. “I hear they don’t really know what they want to do, and so they are pushed to do academic post-secondary education and get a desk job, and the trades are forgotten,” he says. “But a lot of these kids pick up a tool in grade 10 and home in on their hand skills.”
In 2024, 30 students completed trades training at Fusion in fields that industry indicated were seeking skilled labour. The program will train for five trades in 2025: ironworking, carpentry, plumbing and pipe-fitting, insulation, and finishing trades. In December of this year 50 more students will be trained and looking for work, including 10 insulators.
Essential partnerships
The Educational Partnership Foundation helps make the program possible by providing financial and organizational resources, logistical support, and industry connections that give students real opportunities to succeed.
“Our partnership with Fusion Collegiate works so well because we’re aligned in our purpose,” says Barb Simic, TEPF president and CEO. “Together, we’re not just talking about career opportunities—we’re giving students a chance to live them, learn real skills, and build confidence for a career in the trades and their future.”
Recognizing that not every student learns the same way, the partnership aims to provide alternative routes to success beyond traditional academic paths.
“For many young people, especially those facing tough circumstances, trades programs can be life-changing—offering stability, purpose, and a pathway out,” Simic says. “Trades offer a clear, practical path forward—especially for students who feel stuck or overlooked in traditional education.”
Up for the challenge
The day Abafra, Abdiradish, and Angel were being dispatched, Thompson picked them up and drove them to Thomas Kanata so they were ready to go at 7 am.
“They went from leaving high school with no plan and no hope,” Thompson says. “They felt lost. They came to Fusion, and now they have a plan, the skills, and the training to work as professionals.”
As with many apprenticeship pathways, the program faces ongoing challenges in establishing strong employer connections. “We have trained, eager, hungry, humble students who bring a different level of maturity and focus than typical 16- or 17-year-old RAP students,” Thompson says, referencing Alberta’s Registered Apprenticeship Program. “They’re not just exploring—they’re ready to launch. These are individuals prepared to begin their careers. They just need an opportunity.”
He emphasizes that taking on a Fusion Collegiate graduate is an opportunity to combat the labour shortage with highly trained, reliable workers, and Sippola agrees.
“As a contractor there is always risk and costs that come with taking on apprentices,” he says. “Avenues like Fusion put people to work and alleviate some of the risk.”
Sippola says all three Fusion graduates were very well prepared, knew what kind of work would be expected of them, showed up in the correct attire and with the correct tools, and knew what insulation was and how to work with it.
“It’s going well,” he says. “They fit right in and are happy to be working. They are doing a great job, and we are looking to hire a few more because it’s been so successful.”
A bright future
Abafra says that young people interested in a rewarding career and job security should consider the trades, especially if they don’t want to spend several years getting an education only to come out in debt.
“It was a good fit for me, Abafra says. “I enjoy being active, and I wanted a career where I can grow and receive good pay.”
Over the next five years, he hopes to achieve his Red Seal and continue earning good money to support himself and his family. He’d also like to mentor new apprentices.
“I feel great and confident about my future,” Abdirashid says. “I hope I become more successful in my career and life, and I can see myself becoming a journeyman in the Heat and Frost Insulators union.”
Looking ahead, Angel has plans to achieve greatness. “I just want to become a professional,” he says. “I don’t only want to have a title; I want to be amazing with my job. I want to always be at the top of my field by keeping up, growing, and keeping ahead.”. ▪
