“Never a Boring Day”, Meet Joel Stacey

Joel Stacey is a Skills Canada Yukon alumni

Full name: Joel Stacey (Skills Yukon Alumni)

Age: 29

Trade: Carpenter

Current workplace:  Solvest Inc.


I was motivated to begin trade school when I realized I was enjoying my summer carpentry jobs more than my university studies, and could get paid to do it!

Was there someone who got you excited about this path?
A few of my closest friends all took similar paths to mine; attempting university before deciding that trades was the way to go. We’ve all motivated each other over the years. 

Was there a class in secondary school that helped you more proficient at the work you do now? 
Learning basic trigonometry in high school maths turned out to be useful when learning about complicated roof construction. I never took any shop classes in high school, but learning how to use power tools at that age would have been useful. 

What was it like to go to post-secondary school and work at the same time?
It made going to school a no-brainer, especially after paying university tuition the year before. I think having a financial incentive to go to school helps a lot of people go who might not otherwise be able to. 

What is the best part of being in your trade?
Being able to see a project on paper and then make it happen in real life. Moving around outside away from a desk is nice as well. 

What does a regular day look like for you in your job?
I manage construction solar panel installation crews now for Solvest, so that mostly involves meeting clients, planning out jobs and staying on top of inventory. I also get on the roof from time to time. I still do some “traditional” carpentry projects on the side, but after 10 years of residential work I am enjoying a new challenge in an exciting industry that is still all about construction. 

If you met someone who was looking at getting a job in the trades, what piece of advice would you give them?  
If you can view your trade as a career rather than a stopover job, then you should be able to find the right employer that will allow you to progress as time goes on. Don’t settle working for someone who doesn’t motivate you. 

How has your trade, if it has, made your life better? 

y trade has allowed me to work with all kinds of interesting people from all over the world and this has helped make me a more open-minded person. I have been lucky to work all over Canada in my current job for Solvest; there has never been a boring day so far!

What is the most interesting thing/project you have worked on? 
Carpentry related: helping build a scribed log cabin on the side of a mountain in Atlin was amazing. Solar related: Supervising construction of the largest solar farm in Manitoba was a pretty cool project to be a part of.

Skills Canada Yukon promotes trades and technology careers as a top choice for Yukoners. If you are interested in learning more about our programming or want to connect with our community please call 867 668 27336; email [email protected].

Keeping An Open Mind, Meet Travis Friesen

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top