Today, nine of the twelve deserving KENT employees are getting ready to graduate from New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) as part of the Kent Building Supplies and J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) Workforce Pilot Program. The three remaining will be attending another year of schooling before graduating in 2021/22. All will have a guaranteed job placement at JDI upon successful completion of their respective skilled trades programs.

The Pilot Program, in partnership with the NB Department of Post Secondary Education and Training (PETL), the pilot project is focused on upskilling to better paying jobs that are being guaranteed by JDI on successful completion. Some of the areas of study include:

- Industrial Mechanics

- Mechanical Technician

- Machinist

- Steel Fabrication

- Welding

- Industrial Control Technology

- Truck Transport Service Technology

and more!

"This program allows us to connect great employees at Kent Building Supplies and great opportunities at J.D. Irving." says Mike Simms, Vice President of Kent Building Supplies. 

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go through something like this," says Nick Langis, former forklift operator at KENT and currently enrolled in Steel Fabrication through the Workforce Pilot Program. "It is going to give me an opportunity to not only better my future but also the future of my kids" adds Nick.

“At JDI, upskilling New Brunswickers who want to pursue better career opportunities is a priority," explains Colleen Baxter, Vice President of Human Resources for J.D. Irving, Limited.  "We share and appreciate the focus the Province has placed on growing new futures for New Brunswickers willing to return to school for a skilled trade and we're committed to supporting this effort with good paying jobs on graduation. With over 1,200 NBCC grads on our team, we know  the students will receive first class training.   On behalf of the JDI team, we wish these students every success and look forward to welcoming them as full-time employees when they graduate!”

The selected candidates will complete the community college program, up to three years of study, at no additional cost to themselves. Upon successful completion, students are guaranteed a full-time job offer with JDI.

We are excited to see what these skilled participants will do and look forward to them rejoining our team in their new jobs. Congratulations to all the successful applicants!

We are hiring! To see our full list of current openings and apply, visit careers.jdirving.com

Note: Image and video footage is pre-COVID-19