Patrick Chan had spent 15 years in the restaurant industry, working his way up to sous chef and eventually head chef. But then COVID hit and he realized he needed a different career.
He’d always enjoyed being active and working with his hands, so the skilled trades seemed like a good fit. He took the leap and enrolled in the plumbing program at Herzing College.
With support from college staff, he found work almost immediately after graduating, and is very much enjoying his second career.
Here’s his story.
Q. Patrick, could you share a bit about your background and what you were doing before Herzing?
Patrick: I was a chef in a restaurant. I’d been working in restaurants for about 15 years prior to taking the plumbing course.
Plumbing was a second career fuelled by COVID. I really didn’t have a choice. I mean, I had a choice, but COVID expedited my decision to switch.
Q. What inspired you to choose plumbing?
Patrick: I’d worked in restaurants, so I was good with my hands. And I’ve never really been one to look for an office job. That’s not my cup of tea.
Getting into a skilled trade was probably the best choice for someone of my age. I’m 35 years old, so I need to make this career change count.
Plumbing just seemed like a cool move. I’ve seen a lot of plumbers come through restaurants and it seems like they have a pretty good job. It’s hard physical work, but I’ve worked long hours in hospitality before, so I felt like it’s something I could handle.
People think plumbing is a lot dirtier than it is, and I do know it can get really bad, but I’ve seen some really bad things in kitchens too. Nothing shocks me anymore.
Q. Why Herzing?
Patrick: I was actually looking at George Brown because that’s where I went to get my one-year cooking diploma. I just kind of stumbled across Herzing when I was looking at plumbing programs and I saw the location. It’s really close to me, only a 15-minute drive. That was way easier than going downtown. So location was a big factor for me.
Plus, the program was short, just six months. I’d been off work for almost three years, so I was ready to get back into it. I didn’t want to waste time.
Q. How did you find the general vibe in class?
Patrick: It was a really small class. I think it was 15 students. And the age demographic was pretty spread out. We had people in my age group, a few people older, and a lot of younger kids that had just graduated from high school. So it was a cool mix.
It was fun getting to work with people of all ages, all with the same skill set. We were all pretty much starting at zero.
The general vibe was really good.
Q. What was the best part of the training?
Patrick: The best part was getting into the workshop—getting hands on with the tools and the equipment before I go into a job site and make a fool of myself.
Q. What was the most challenging part?
Patrick: I think the most challenging part was learning to go back to the start. After 15 years in restaurants, I was in an upper-middle management kind of position. So going back down and checking my ego at the door was something I was definitely mindful of before I started this class.
And I think that really helped me do well, because it’s easy to pretend you know everything. It’s hard to say, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Q. How long did it take you to find work after you graduated?
Patrick: It was probably two weeks. I took a trip to Quebec right after I graduated and I got the call for an interview during my trip.
Q. How much support did you get from Herzing in terms of finding a job?
Patrick: The careers department really stuck their neck out for me. As we were approaching the end of the program, everyone was starting to get resumes out, and I was just kind of waiting to finish the training first. I wasn’t in a rush; I wanted to take my time. Like I said, I went to Quebec to go fishing.
So it was quiet right up until the end. In the last couple days I got in touch with the instructor and he linked me up with Natalia in the careers department, and it was a back and forth conversation for maybe half a day. They said OK, give us your resume. And within a week there were some interviews lined up.
Q. So where are you working now? Tell us about your role.
Patrick: I’m working with Lisi Services. The office is in Vaughn but we’re all over Ontario and in BC as well. I’m working downtown in a high-rise residential building doing stack flushing. That’s when we clean the main pipe that runs from the top of the building all the way down to the sewer.
Q. Coming from hospitality, you were used to being on your feet constantly. But does plumbing take more of a physical toll?
Patrick: Getting into tighter spaces is a challenge, but there are lots of things we can do to take care of ourselves. For one thing, I’ve invested in knee pads. So going under sinks for extended periods of time doesn’t bother me too much now.
I find it’s more of a strength thing. Some things are really heavy with this job, but it’s something I can work on slowly with some weight training.
Q. What would you say are the most important skills for plumbers?
Patrick: I think you really need to understand how catastrophic any sort of mistake with plumbing can be. So you need to be really focused.
I’ve definitely felt that Monday vibe where there’s a little bit of a haze and you just make one slight move and then water starts coming out. But luckily I know how to remedy that!
Bringing that focus from the minute you clock in to the minute you’re out of there is probably the most important thing.
Q. What advice would you give someone who was thinking about becoming a plumber?
Patrick: I’d say do it as soon as possible while you’re young and get an earlier start than I did on it. Seize the day, so they say.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLUMBING PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Herzing’s plumbing program covers blueprint reading, installation methods, building codes, and safety protocols. Training takes just 24 weeks and is available in both Toronto and Cambridge.
Click below to explore the program and chat live with an admissions advisor. We’re here to help!
