Success stories: Thea
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Success stories: Thea - Transcript
Avalon Mathias, Automotive Service Technician.
As a qualified journeyperson, I know I have a great future in front of me. I work at a shop with a couple of very good techs, and someday I may even open my own shop.
Thea Mathias, mother of Avalon.
>My name is Thea Mathias, proud mother of Avalon Mathias.
She's always been very good with her hands. She always liked taking things apart and then hopefully putting them back together the way she found them.
She's been interested in cars ever since I could remember. She bought her first car when she was 17 and she was always tinkering with it.
When Avalon started high school she accidently signed up for a "tech" class thinking it was computers, but it ended up being cars and technical things. She ended up loving it. She was the only female in the class, but that didn't seem to care. She just went for it. I couldn't be more proud.
I've struggled myself trying to find work and haven't always had the best-paying jobs. I don't think I would have been able to help her out too much financially. So yes to have the government back her up and help her with the schooling. It's just fantastic.
I don't believe being a woman should stop you from doing anything you want to achieve. I know she's going to have some challenges, and there's always going to be people out there who won't want her to work on their car just cause she's a woman. And that's too bad for them.
I think she is better than most of the guys! Sorry, guys.
Thea’s story: Proud Mom of Auto Service Technician Avalon
Avalon Matthias’s mother Thea wasn’t sure how she would be able to help pay for Avalon’s post-secondary education when the time came. So she was relieved and pleased when her daughter chose to pursue an apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade and qualified for Government of Canada Apprenticeship Grants. The financial support took the pressure off the family, helped with the cost of tuition and the tools Avalon needed for her work.
Thea recently attended a ceremony at George Brown College in Toronto where Avalon received the 500,000th Apprenticeship Completion Grant worth an additional $2,000 for registered apprentices who have completed their apprenticeship training and obtained their journeyperson certification in a designated Red Seal trade.
Avalon is the first Automotive Service Technician in her family, and Thea is proud of her daughter’s talent and determination to succeed in her chosen career. In fact, one million skilled tradesmen and women will be needed over the next decade to keep Canada's economy strong. Thea is pleased that the Government of Canada is supporting young people, especially women, in pursuing non-traditional, well-paid, in-demand work.
The Government of Canada knows that investing in training and education creates jobs and benefits hard-working families. In addition to the Canada Apprenticeship Incentive and Completion Grants, the new interest-free Canada Apprentice Loan offers up to $4,000 per period of Red Seal technical training to help apprentices get their ticket.
Visit Canada.ca/Apprentice today to find out if you qualify!
Learn more about support for apprentices
Find more videos on the ESDC YouTube about apprenticeship training and skills support from the Government of Canada.
Visit Support for apprentices for information on more programs available to help apprentices complete their training and for employers to hire and train apprentices.
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