Wired for success: Welland electrical apprentice wins national fellowship

May 15, 2025 | jcusters
Wired for success: Welland electrical apprentice wins national fellowship

Niagara College apprentice Olivia Carre is inspiring the next generation of tradeswomen.


Electrical Apprentice Olivia Carre is $1,000 richer, but for the Welland native, it’s the recognition that matters.


This Spring, Carre was one of just four apprentices from across Canada to receive the Dakota Prep Fellowship.


“It’s good to be noticed,” said Carre, who recently completed Niagara College’s Electrician – Construction and Maintenance Apprenticeship program. “If someone else sees that, they might say, why don’t I try this?”


Dakota Test Prep offers a study app that is popular with NC students preparing for Red Seal exams. The inaugural award seeks to empower exceptional electrical apprentices who have demonstrated a deep commitment to mentoring and assisting their peers.


“Olivia is an emerging leader in the trades, and this recognition from Dakota Test Prep is a testament to her excellence as an electrical apprentice,” said Darrell Clarke, Associate Dean of NC’s School of Trades. “We know she will do well in her career and hope her story inspires others to see the breadth of possibilities in the skilled trades.”


For Carre, who works at Sid Grabell Contracting in Thorold, the stakes are high, and safety is number one.


“Our job is no joke,” said Carre. “People can get seriously hurt in this career. There is a lot to be aware of on a job site, and not just electrical, but machinery and other contractors. I want to make sure my crew is safe.”


Carre looks out for her younger contractors – including two first-year NC students – and ensures no one takes shortcuts.


Beyond safety, and with a quiet confidence, Carre is a willing mentor.


“I teach everything I know. Whatever I know, I’m going to pay it forward to someone else.”


Carre got her start at her parents’ landscaping company. When they took on Sid Grabell Contracting as a client, Carre was exposed to a wide range of jobs in the trades.


“The guys would start to notice what I was doing, and they said, ’you’re a hard worker, you should get into the trades.’ It’s a great place to be and you just move up from there… We didn’t know as high school students that the trades were a thing, and now, we need people in the trades – bad.”


To women and girls considering the trades, Carre says, “you’re definitely capable… there are so many different tasks in the electrical field that you will find your niche.”


She adds that having a positive attitude, being a good listener, and having the guts to ask questions goes a long way in the field.


“We [women] tend to pay extra attention to detail, think ahead and consider the outcomes.”


Beyond electrical work, Carre has learned to work with wood and steel on the job, skills she’s been able to bring home where the most precious little person lives: her son.

 

“I would love to pass my Certificate of Qualification, my final test, and have that because I have a baby who is two and a half, and, one day, I can tell him I did this, and you can do whatever you want to do.”


“Juggling motherhood, school, and leadership on the job, Olivia hasn’t just kept up—she’s thrived. That’s what the Dakota Prep Fellowship is all about,” said Alex Au, Co-founder of Dakota Prep.


Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is ranked Canada’s No. 1 research college. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.