From Electrician to High School Teacher

Mike's Story

The Beginning

Life as an Electrician

Before he changed careers, Mike was a Red Seal electrician with years of experience under his belt. Skilled at problem-solving and working with his hands, he demonstrated precision in every area of his work.

Most of all, Mike was proud of the career he had built and excited for his future.

The Challenge

What Changed

An on-the-job injury changed everything.

Mike was unexpectedly injured on-the-job. The injury made him unable to continue his career as an electrician, which was not easy to process.


Losing the career he had been building for years disrupted his purpose and confidence. While he knew he needed a new start, the prospect of going back to school made him feel anxious and uncertain about his future.

Mike was sponsored to attend Pathways

Our goal was to help lead Mike to a new career path, one that would make him feel just as fulfilled. To do that, we needed to understand what drove his passions while also considering where his injury could hold him back. Here's the steps we took to get there:

  • Understanding Mike

    • Job Shadowing: We worked with Mike through our Virtual Job Shadow program to help him explore new possibilities.
    • Consulting: During our conversations, he shared his long history of volunteering with organizations focused on children. We also learned that teaching ran in his family. We immediately saw this as an opportunity for him.

  • Setting Mike Up for Success

    • Academic Upgrading: Mike and our team realized that teaching was a promising new path for him. To ensure he had all the skills he needed, we started upgrading his computer skills and academics.
    • Planning for the Future: In the meantime, we searched for a suitable teaching program—one he qualified for and that would provide the credentials he needed to begin applying for teaching positions.

  • Applying to a Teaching Program

    • A Program That Fit: We discovered Mike qualified for the Brock University Technological Education Teacher program.
    • Applying: We supported him through the application process, which involved him writing an essay about why he was a good fit for the program. Despite not having written in essay format for years, he excelled and was quickly accepted.

Where is Mike Now?

After graduating from the Brock University Technological Education Teacher program, Mike went right back into the workplace, now as a High School Teacher.

When he finally stepped into the high school classroom during his first placement, it felt right. 

He realized he could pass on not just knowledge, but experience—real-world wisdom through years on the job. That sense of purpose, of being useful again, brought back a spark. Teaching became not a consolation prize, but a new calling.

Find your path—or help someone find theirs.