October 12, 2006 - 5:00pm
From Cuba, to Panama, to Nanaimo, the Fiandor family has steadily overcome challenges to build a better life.
Eloy Fiandor is no exception. Two years ago he closed his business and returned to school, enrolling in the new Pulp and Paper Operations certificate program offered by Malaspina University-College.
A student loan provided a fraction of his former income, resulting in a lean year of sacrifice for Fiandor, his wife Catherine and their two daughters.
"It was pretty tight. But every once in a while you have to take a gamble to jump-start your life."
Fiandor learned that lesson as a teenager. Born and raised in Cuba, his family tried to leave for years. He was 15 when relatives in Florida produced visas for Panama, allowing the family to escape Cuba but trapping them in Panama for two years. Finally they were accepted as Canadian immigrants and moved to Nanaimo.
Just as that gamble paid off in a better life for Fiandor, his educational gamble now promises a better future for his family. Although he had been out of school for 12 years, once at Malaspina he rediscovered his study habits and his love of learning.
He tied as the top student in the course and, after graduation, was hired by Harmac Pulp Operations where he has worked for the past year.
"It was a gamble and it worked out for me," he said, explaining that at the time he enrolled, the course was new and no one knew for sure if graduates would find work. As the first year of the program ended, only six students had been offered jobs and none of those jobs were at Harmac.
For Fiandor, a job at Harmac meant he could stay in Nanaimo, where he and his wife own a home. His parents live within blocks of their home and his wife’s family lives close by, creating a solid network of support.
He discovered Harmac needed someone with a first aid attendant ticket, so he took the course to obtain his ticket. That ticket and his Pulp and Paper Operations certificate from Malaspina gave him the job he wanted.
"I have a really good job and I actually enjoy going to work every day," he said. "The course prepares you for what you’re going to encounter when you come onto the job site. Safety-wise, it’s important. If you don’t follow the precautions, it’s a potentially dangerous industry to work in."
Since that first class, B.C. pulp mills have recognized the value of Malaspina-trained entry-level employees. All graduates from the first year of the program have been hired. Harmac has hired five graduates from the second this year’s program, which ended in September. Four weeks after graduation, 15 of the 17 students are employed. The remaining two students were offered jobs but were not able to relocate.
"Jobs were available for all of the students," Marshall said. He is now reviewing applications for the third session of the program, which starts in January 2007. For information, go to www.viu.ca.
Fiandor expects his new career will provide lasting employment in a paper-hungry world. His previous business, a tuxedo rental service for cruise ships, was hit hard by fewer travellers post 9/11 and a change to casual attire on cruises.
Financially, he said the impact of his new career has been "tremendous. It pays very well and there are lots of opportunities for advancement in the trades sector."
He also appreciates the work schedule, which allows him to be home in time to pick up his daughters from school.
Fiandor is already considering additional training to occupy one of the trades positions in the mill. "It depends how ambitious you are. I’m looking at a trade – probably millwright.
"It is all for a better life for my family. Family comes first," he said.
Tags: In the Community
