News
Derek Lerat: A Success Story
By Barbara Reyes
Mar 19, 2020
Posted in: achievement, Success Story
June 2019 was of great significance at the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI) Training and Employment office in Yorkton. Derek Lerat, my client in the GDI Indigenous Apprenticeship Program, received his Red Seal Journeyperson Certification in the Automotive Service Technician trade on June 21, 2019. On a personal note, Derek became the first client I have ever worked with as an Employment Counsellor to attain a Journeyperson certification.
I first met Derek Lerat in January 2015 when I did a presentation on our Gabriel Dumont Institute Indigenous Apprenticeship Program at the SIIT Yorkton Career Center. Derek was then taking the Automotive Service Preparation Program (ASP) at the Centre.
Prior to Derek completing the ASP program, I had made contact with L.H. Bradley & Son, a local Automotive Sales and Service Center in Moosomin, SK, to participate in our Apprenticeship Program. With assistance from Darren Cote, an Instructor at SIIT, I arranged for Derek to complete his practicum with L.H. Bradley & Son. They were so pleased with Derek that they decided to take him on as an apprentice through the GDI Indigenous Apprenticeship Program. Derek was immediately welcomed by the staff and treated like family.
Derek officially started employment with L.H. Bradley & Son on April 20, 2015 through the Apprenticeship Program, and soon after, the paperwork was completed to get him registered as an Automotive Service Technician Apprentice. GDI covered the cost of his indenturing application and on August 14, 2015, Derek received his Automotive Service Technician Apprentice Level 1 Y Card.
GDI also assisted Derek with $400 towards the cost of some of the required tools he needed for his employment. A second Aboriginal Apprenticeship Subsidy contract was signed with L.H. Bradley & Son in June of 2016 until April of 2017.
I conducted monthly follow-ups with Derek and his supervisor at L.H. Bradley & Son throughout both subsidies via follow-up reports and several on-site monitors; and I was always pleased to know how well he was doing and progressing in his skills.
GDI assisted Derek with the costs of his tuition in May of 2016 to complete his apprenticeship Level 1 technical training, and again in January 2018 to complete his Level 2 technical training. Derek returned to work at L.H. Bradley & Son after completion of his technical training.
Although Derek lives in a smaller community with limited training and employment opportunities, he was very committed to his career goal and was always willing to travel to take his training and for employment afterwards. Through the GDI Indigenous Apprenticeship Program and our partnership with L.H. Bradley & Son, Derek was able to enhance his skills, gain valuable work experience while earning a wage and accumulating training hours towards his journeyperson certification.
Through his hard work, perseverance and dedication, Derek successfully completed all levels of the Automotive Service Technician apprenticeship program and received his Red Seal Journeyperson Certification from the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission on June 21, 2019.
Derek is grateful for the help he received along the way – from his family, SIIT Yorkton Career Center’s Automotive Service Prep Program, GDI Training and Employment Indigenous Apprenticeship Program, and his employer L.H. Bradley & Son. He currently remains employed with L.H. Bradley & Son as a journeyperson Automotive Service Technician. We at the GDI Training and Employment office in Yorkton are very proud of Derek.
