Instructor, ID (VCC), BCCA & BCCQ (IP Standard), FSR, 2018 NISOD Recipient
Instructor, Plant Operator
Julie-Claire grew up in Deep Cove, North Vancouver enjoying the mountains and ocean at her back door. Not too surprising that later in life she would end up calling Nelson her home—the call of the mountains and gorgeous Kootenay Lake her new back yard.
Julie-Claire graduated high school and spent years traveling the world, intertwined with years at University of Victoria and Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts on Granville Island in Vancouver. For many years she worked in the tree planting industry in the spring, summer and fall, and in the winter worked in the backcountry ski industry. One day she grew tired of constantly being away from home and a friend suggested taking the Electrical Foundation Program at Selkirk College, stating that the career of an electrician seemed pretty awesome. She didn’t know any electricians and came from a family who are “not handy” to say the least, but she took the plunge and enrolled. This is what brought her to Nelson and has kept her here ever since.
Julie-Claire loves being an electrician, “circuitry is an art and is amazing what your hard work can create.” She has worked as an electrician for many residential companies based in Nelson, as well as Interior Health and School District #8. She started teaching at Selkirk College in 2008 with instructing the electrical portion of the Women in Trades Program. She has worked as an instructor in the Electrical Program, taught in the Renewable Energy Program and the Trades Sampler Program. In 2018, Julie-Claire took over the instruction of the Plant Operator Program.
Julie-Claire is passionate about instructing, “there is a lot of responsibility in grooming the future electricians or operators, I take that very seriously. I want them to be the best that they can be.” Julie-Claire completed her Instructor Diploma in 2018 and was the NISOD Award of Excellence recipient in 2018.
When Julie-Claire isn’t instructing, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her two kids and husband, on the lake, or enjoying the mountains by ski, mountain bike or dirt bike.