Chasing Dreams in Canada

My name is Manjot and I am 23 years old. I came to WorkBC Centre Newton after I moved from Yukon to Lower Mainland after obtaining my PR status. I came to Canada as a student in 2017. I completed 1 year of Certificate in Arts and was working with an employer on a restricted Work permit. Those initial years in Canada were very tough for me since I had to support myself financially, and be back on my feet as soon as possible so that I could support my family in India. Thanks to WorkBC for making it all happen!

Up north I did all possible entry level jobs for the employer that included, looking after kitchen, Bar and Delivery duties. Driving was something that interested me the most during my past work experience therefore after I moved to Surrey I started searching for good careers in driving as that was something I really enjoyed doing and I also found out the need and demand of truck drivers. During my school research I found out about the new changes to the Class 1 driving and the introduction of the MELT Program. I had saved enough money to pay for the entire tuition but in the new program the cost of the training got doubled. I was extremely disappointed to find out these changes. One of the schools suggested me to seek financial support from WorkBC. During my research, I also started working with food delivery platforms like Uber eats and Skip the Dishes to keep earning to sustain myself. It was then that I got myself registered with WorkBC Centre Newton and fortunately, met my counsellor who helped me throughout my training and guided me to the utmost accuracy.

With the help of my counsellor, I applied for my skills training funds and luckily got the approval for my grant! I was also approved for some living supports during my 4 weeks of intense on the road class 1 driving training so that I get some time to myself and not worry about my basic expenses.

The most challenging part was definitely a lot of paper work I had to do, but in the end, it was all worth it. I was fully focused on my training only, not worrying about fees, expenses or other costs. I finished my training before the estimated end date and cleared my road test in one attempt. I was immediately offered the full-time positions and I am currently employed with full time hours and excellent wages. 

Throughout my time with WorkBC, my counsellor was on top of things and she kept following up with me encouraging me to never give up. I got the training, I got the job, and I have started to build my career, all thanks to WorkBC.