Accidental Apprentice - Odd Jobs Explored

Back from a brief hiatus with our latest episode featuring Rooks to Cooks Founder & CEO Chef Shai Mandel.

Before Shai stepped into the world of culinary education as an amazing entrepreneur and role model she was working a slightly different path. Hear how Shai went from a BA in Kinesiology to running 12 locations across Toronto for one of the most amazing culinary experiential experiences available for students and parents in Toronto!

Keith Williams founder and producer behind Goadilo sits with Accidental Apprentice Podcast. 

Goadilo stands for "Glimpse of a Day in the Life of" and that exactly what Keith does. He connects with people in their careers and provides a video experience diving into the day in the life of their careers. In our conversation Keith takes through why and how he started Goadilo, what's been happening so far and what's next. 

There is an amazing library of content that you must see when looking at the world of work

Electricity Human Resources Canada CEO Michelle Branigan sits down with the Accidental Apprentice Podcast to discuss the bounty of opportunities in the Electricity Sector. She discusses with us the challenges to breaking stigma, championing diversity and holding an industry to the goals they set to lead the way in change.

To see some of the work Michelle is leading at EHRC or to find out more on navigating a career in the Electricity Sector in Canada visit their website

We are hearing all the time conversation that we don't even know what the jobs of tomorrow look like. Well here is Mike Bembenek, an Executive Producer for a online gaming company. A career that 10 years ago no one would even think could be a thing. 

Here how his career journey from Ontario Canada to London England crossed some shows you may have watched, from Degrassi the Next Gen to the Juno and Gemini Awards shows to filling the SSE arena, over 12 000 people, in London for a Massive Live Event!

No matter how new the opportunities can be in tomorrow's world of work, hear how Mike highlights some of the most important age old skills which have also been huge factors to his success.

What happens when what you are doing for a career has you beat. You don't feel the passion and fit you once did and are now wondering if you can ever find the success and fulfillment you once dreamed of?

You have to hear how the now CEO of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce reached a similar point and took a chance, she simply spun the "career wheel" as she called it and took a few important things with her. Her commitment to hard work and dedication to always giving the best effort she can, no matter the challenge. Listen as she shares with us the notion that you cannot learn if you do not try. 

I am joined by Darryl Spector, President at Promation Nuclear. This podcast is jammed with content around career exploration, the looming demands in the skilled trades industries and so much more. Listen as we delve into the value of establishing hands on experiences into all sectors of employment and how that can make the next generation of worker beyond competitive with a more comprehensive skill-set. There is even a point in this interview where Darryl ventures from the Interviewee into the Interviewer! Darryl provides us with a no-nonsense review of our current career exploration formulas and provides tangible realistic ideas of how we can be improving it to the benefit of both the employers of today and employees of tomorrow.  

Wrapping up our series on workplace diversity, inclusion and equity has us sitting down with Jessica and Jacob from Mediaplanet.

I am joined by Nicole and Molly who currently serve as the minds behind the Skill Trade Employment Pathway (S.T.E.P.) program in partnership with the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (O.C.N.I.). We get into all kinds of amazing conversation from classroom and situation tactics for diversity and inclusion to Nicole wanting a job where she could ride a horse. Not only do we talk about this local initiative but Nicole and Molly take us through their career journeys and how they ended up doing some amazing work from the world of Human Resources.

This episode is brought to you by KickAss Careers and their Workplace Equality Campaign.

I am thrilled to be joined by Director of Workforce Development for the Canadian Building Trades Unions, Lindsay Amundsen. I've had the privilege to have known Lindsay for a few years now and am excited to have been able to get an episode recorded with Lindsay. Her journey into this role is a great story for everyone to hear. We discuss the work that she has been doing across Canada, collaborating with different Provincial advocates & with the Buildtogether Program. We talk about diversity and inclusion in both the world of Construction and the Building Trades across Canada and just have a great time really.

Lindsay was my second guest in my series taking a deeper look at workplace diversity, inclusion and equity and she picked up right where Annemarie left off last week and raised the bar.

Don't forget to check out the Buildtogether website and the Mentorship Matters video we talk about in the episode, links below.