Success stories

Joe Lavallee

Joe is a site manager for infrastructure and maintenance in the gas section in Alberta. Originally from Ontario, Joe and his family moved to Alberta in the early 90’s. After completing high school, Joe followed in his father’s footsteps and started working on heavy equipment. “I liked what I did, and there were a lot of ups and downs. I got to where I am with a lot of hard work.”

Self-employed today, Joe prefers the Heavy Civil aspects of his role, which includes moving large amounts of cubic meters of material. His inspiration for wanting to get Certified was due to: poor management he encountered while working for a company that had substandard safety measures, and his desire to excel in his field. Joe decided that he was going to get more education to help him achieve his goal. With the help of his brother, who was already Gold Seal Certified, Joe had a coach during his certification training.

Despite facing the challenges of his busy work schedule and being a single father of a 7-year-old, Joe obtained his Gold Seal Certification in December 2015. However, that’s not the end of the line for Joe, he’s currently studying the environmental sciences of the oil industry.

Joe is a man driven by strong work ethics, and he believes that starting from the bottom and working your way up is one of the better way to earn respect, credibility, and experience in the field. Hard work will pay off. For him, obtaining his Gold Seal Certification wasn’t about earning more money or the title, but rather gaining wisdom and knowledge of best practices when working, to give the client the best service and results possible. “With this economy you have to be competitive, safe, and balance it all so you can turn a profit, which can be challenging at times.”

“Earning your Gold Seal is an opportunity to advance your career and become a better asset to an organization in an industry that is always evolving. The industry is always looking for top tier contractors.”