Boat builder and yard manager Joy St. Germain strode across a room this morning to accept the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency's 2023 Apprentice Ally Award of Excellence at a ceremony in Dartmouth. She was also featured in a video produced by the NSAA.
The award is "presented to a person of organization who has made an outstanding contribution to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the apprenticeship and trades qualification system in Nova Scotia," according to the NSAA.
Joy is known as a friendly and helpful supervisor who is always looking for ways to maximize her coworkers' potential. She has been a mentor to young women interested in working in the trades, and has taken interest in ensuring foreign workers who are new to the industry find the right work and are comfortable in day-to-day interactions.
"It's great," says Joy about her work, "I've always enjoyed helping people. My nickname around the yard is 'Mama Joy.'"
Joy is currently overseeing four apprentices at A.F. Theriault and Son in Meteghan. She makes sure they complete the various tasks required to achieve trade certification. "Any components that they're doing," she says, "if they haven't completed any of that work yet I'll help set them up so that they do one of those tasks, learn it from myself or another qualified tradesperson...I partner them up with somebody who is qualified in that particular area."
"We are immensely proud to honour Joy St. Germain with this year's Apprenticeship Ally Award of Excellence," said Trent Soholt, Chair of the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Board in a statement, "This award celebrates individuals, like Joy, who embody the essence of our mission - to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusive apprenticeship system in Nova Scotia. Joy's remarkable efforts highlight the core values of this award, which serves as a testament to eh transformative power of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to create opportunities for everyone in the trades. Congratulations to Joy and our heartfelt gratitude for her outstanding contribution to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the apprenticeship and trades qualification system in Nova Scotia."
Congratulations Joy St. Germain on winning the Apprentice Ally Award of Excellence!