Drew is a 26 year old male who completed his foundation training in December of 2009. He entered the program with many barriers to employment including a history of substance misuse and numerous convictions for a range of offences. He was ready to change his life around and wanted to get an apprenticeship, but was unclear about what trade would be a good fit for him.
He participated in all of the employability skills and was particularly motivated during the safety training sessions. After Drew graduated from the foundation phase of BladeRunners he was placed on several work sites. However, he was experiencing some difficulties adjusting to working full-time and the first couple of work placements ended due to his inability to be at work on schedule.
He continued to meet often with the JHS staff and also attended the JHS Job Club on a regular basis. Drew was also given the opportunity to work a short-term job with Campbell Construction and received an excellent evaluation from his site supervisor. It was here he discovered his passion for carpentry and when the job finished with Campbell Construction the BladeRunners staff arranged for Drew to take his trades math test at the Carpenters Union. He passed the basic trades math and his name was placed on the board at the union hall. Within a couple of weeks he received a call from the union and was placed as a general labourer with Farmer Construction. After proving himself, Farmer Construction offered to sponsor Drew for his apprenticeship which started in July 2010.
