SBDC Graduate Career Paths
A recent email survey of SBDC graduates from the first five years of the program shows the following distribution of employment:
- Builders/general construction: 25
- Specialty builders (eg. Plasterer): 7
- Energy auditors: 3
- Renewable energy installers: 2
- Designers: 10
- Administrative roles (eg. CMHC): 6
- Renovations: 6
- Design/build: 4
- Own home building/renovation: 6
- Further construction education: 2
- Total 71
Of the above graduates, 16 own and operate their own businesses.
Comments from graduates on work opportunities:
“Starting with the first day after the program ended I have worked on different construction projects including: timber framing, carpentry, conventional building, passive solar construction of a greenhouse, plumbing and electrical work, earth wall partitions, interior and exterior natural finishes, energy efficient retrofits, plaster repairs on existing straw bale buildings, hosting natural building workshops in Canada and Japan. Plus more work to come in the next year with more plastering projects, workshops, natural finishes for a wider range of customers than before, participate in the planning of a sustainable housing project for the county of Haliburton.” -Sebastian Rennel
“I am now employed at OUR Ecovillage on Vancouver island doing sustainable design, building and permaculture.” -Rikki Bowden
“I got a job with Gardens in the Sky. I am on a team of 8 people installing the green roof on City Hall. I got the job at the Green Building show in Toronto about a month ago. I talked to a lady who had an exhibit there for Gardens in the Sky, and asked if they needed any workers, and I got lucky. I mentioned that I was in the SBDC program, and it definitely helped me get the job. I have only had positive reactions when I mention I was enrolled in the program.” -Will Ranscombe
“I have received a job building a straw bale house in Madoc, and it was directly due to my participation in the SBDC class.” -Ben Parks
“In the two months following the course, I’ve found work on a strawbale house and have been hired to do earthen finishes for the winter months. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to approach these tasks or the knowledge to complete them successfully without the intensive hands-on learning I experienced in SBDC. I think this course is an unparalleled opportunity to kick start a career in green building.” -Serrah Hughes
“My experience through SBDC was directly responsible for several invaluable contacts in the field of sustainable design. The collaborative work of past graduates offered up to the next generation has presented me with many new opportunities in both my professional design practice as well as new sustainable initiatives.” -Melanie Martin
“Since graduating, I have been engaged mainly in the construction field. While not always involved in green or sustainable building, I feel the course has given me valuable tools in being useful in any job site for any trade. I am currently employed by Straworks, a Peterborough based building company, and the knowledge and experience imparted to be me have made me a valuable employee and specialist in the straw bale field. I plan to continue on in this field, which is growing every year, and the course supplies builders with trained employees, which is a huge benefit to the field.” -Justin McKeiver
“Along with three other SBDC grads, I was offered an apprenticeship with the Grand House Co-op in Cambridge, a not-for-profit cooperative aimed at providing housing for University of Waterloo Architecture students in a 4000 sq. ft straw bale residence built by apprentices, students and volunteers. This four-month apprenticeship allowed me to use the skills I had learned in the SBDC course and build on my confidence in construction. Each of the apprentices had been selected out of a wide range of applicants as a result of our involvement with the SBDC course. Immediately following this posting I returned to my own design business, Solitarybee Designs, but with an aim to pursue sustainable design. I connected with a classmate who had begun his own renovation company to offer design services to renovation clients. I also began work for a straw bale builder in Saskatchewan, Green Planet Homes, who knew of the highly respected program and appreciated the expertise I had not only from my years in the design field but my specialized training and understanding of construction gained through the SBDC course. After countless straw bale home designs, I decided to find more permanent work and was immediately hired by Solares Design Build Inc in Toronto, an architecture firm that specializes in sustainable residential design and construction. My resume was respected for its hands-on approach to design and construction gained from my years in the commercial design sector and the SBDC course. Each of these fantastic opportunities came to me as a direct result of taking the SBDC course, allowing me to pursue my passion, design, in a more sustainable and fulfilling way.” -Melanie Scott
Comments from graduates about the delivery of the course:
“The hands-on experience of physical construction took our in-class learning to a level other programs will not be able to offer. Through actively researching, obtaining and applying components of the building, as well as being a part of the on-site problem solving process, we have gained much insight putting us ahead of theory based programs. Further, working with experienced, active builders gives a great deal of confidence that the knowledge we gained is relevant and allowed us the opportunity to be at the forefront of the sustainable building industry.” -Melanie Martin
“I feel the hands-on approach is by far the best way of learning. The mix of class time to construction time is great – having a few weeks at the beginning to get everybody organized and then having one day a week in the class to break up the construction and learn about different facets of green building through different speakers.” -Ian Weir
“Not only did [SBDC] teach me an incredible amount of theory and practical skills, but it was also very effective at encouraging students to problem solve on the fly; an essential skill for any builder.” -Serrah Hughes
“About the particular method of delivery used in the SBDC I think it’s amazing. The hands-on aspect of it is by far the best way of retaining the information (all the way into the genes) while the design part of it really challenges the ability to think and awakens the power of thought. There is definitely a lot of information to digest in just 5 months so the more self-instruction time is spent prior to the course, the better the understanding. Ultimately this method emphasizes individual responsibility and the importance of good communication which are potential assets in any field one might undertake.” -Sebastian Rennel
“…as the summer progressed it was a great way to learn problem solving – a skill especially necessary on any job site, especially when working alone.” -Sara Law
“The course design really pushes students to be creative, independent, and efficient. This is in contrast to other courses where the results were less important and the goal less tangible. The open nature of the learning I experienced in the course was especially impressive.” -Justin McKeiver
“I’ve been attending sustainable building courses and workshops for years and my experience with [SBDC] was the most valuable in terms of working with a team to build sustainably, quickly, safely, and to code. Our ability to assume leadership roles while being supported was a big part of learning. It wasn’t just about the amazing skills being passed on, which are very rare to learn, it was the way we were taught them. [The instructors] took the time to explain or answer anything that was unclear if necessary after we tried designing the solution ourselves with the resources provided. I am now in a work situation where we do have to research and design things in the same way, so the method of teaching prepared me for this sustainable job. Many of the things we do in sustainable construction are not set out and easily solved so the skill of research and problem solving are critical.” -Rikki Bowden
“We spent the right amount of time in the classroom, which gave us the background knowledge we needed. This in turn allowed us to have a lot of time doing hands on work. With the different styles of construction used in sustainable building, getting hands on experience is invaluable.” -Sean Harris
“The SBDC program was a highlight of all the training/education I’ve had to date. I see the program as a huge success for Fleming College and give them credit for supporting the program. The content of the program proved very interesting, providing a good base for students to understand and see how all the pieces of a building work together. I found the texts for the program to be very good. I’ve been re-reading them since the end of the program. The on site experience was a great learning opportunity. It is the ultimate teambuilding exercise with students cooperating and learning from each other. Having the site operate as a company site gave students a chance to experience the work in a practical real world setting, in terms of safety, planning, and production. I feel that the format of the program is its greatest quality.” -Rob Hitchcock
“The building science theory that was taught in the course gave me a solid foundation, which Nationwide Energy Advisors thought was significant enough to accept me into their training program. The building science theory, the hands on construction experience, and my knowledge of insulation and geo-thermal (from being part of those SBDC teams), enables me to offer my clients reliable information about conventional AND sustainable alternatives to improving the energy efficiency of their homes.” -Peter Low
“The program has been designed and shaped by and for people who are not satisfied with the status quo, and provides meaningful opportunity for those people to attempt to change the status quo. It stands to reason that such a course may be taught in unconventional ways. This course blurs the lines of power by giving real authority and accountability to the student to make decisions. This is an intense and rewarding learning environment and also one that someone is likely to be engaged in, learn from and remember. These criteria should be the very measure of any program’s effectiveness.” -David Conroy
“I went into the program with no knowledge of building, or of sustainable building techniques or products. Before I knew it, I was confident interpreting plans, following direction, and building with little assistance. In the first three weeks of class, I learned more practical information than in the three years of my Masters degree. The physical part of the program showed us how we can put what we had learned in class into practice, and the fruits of our labour were realized in the form of a standing building! The design portion of the program allowed us to use our creativity and all the building skills/practices we were learning on-site to design a sustainable building for a client, complete with plans and details ready to be sent to an architect for completion. The SBDC program is unique in Canada for its speed (5 months as opposed to years), physical building skills and experience, and design skills. I was drawn to all of these features, and was never once disappointed.” -Jamee DeSimone