A Humber Construction and Maintenance Electrical Apprenticeship student was one of just five apprenticeship students from across Canada to be awarded a scholarship by the Electro-Federation of Canada (EFC) when the annual scholarships were awarded.
Roshan Augustine Pillai, seen above, was announced as a winner of a $500 Bob Dyer/OEL Apprenticeship Scholarship. The scholarships are given out by EFC as part of a wider scholarship offering for students studying Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration or in electrical apprenticeship programs. The scholarships were established in 1995 to encourage Canadian students to pursue careers in electrical, electronics, and telecommunications industries.
Pillai said the application took him about 30 minutes to complete in March, but that he applied not really expecting to win.
“I felt I had nothing to lose in applying,” he said. “I was not expecting hear back as I was sure there would be other deserving applicants applying. So I was greatly surprised and excited to receive the congratulatory email from the EFC five months after applying.”
Michael Auchincloss, program coordinator of the Construction and Maintenance Electrical Apprenticeship program, was pleased to hear that one of his students had won a scholarship.
“It is a top industry competition, and winning an award is a credit to the apprenticeship program, but mostly, it is a credit to Roshan, who is very dedicated and a deserving winner,” he said.
Pillai had started working in the electrical field because of the high demand for employees. He enjoys the hands-on nature of the work.
“It deals with precision in application and installation,” Pillai, who works for Electric Group Ltd., said. “It requires a broad understanding of other trades that must be taken into consideration during planning and installation. We’re involved from the beginning of a construction project and stay in the loop until the end."
Pillai is hoping become a licensed electrician through his studies at Humber, which he started in January 2011.
“I had initially chosen Humber for my studies based on convenience. The location was closed and I had to keep my travelling costs low,” he said. “I was very fortunate to find out academically, the electrical programs provided are high-rated by the industry, the work and study atmosphere is comfortable and the professors, all who have years of specialized trade experience, positively added to the learning environment.”
