Sandeep is an international student who immigrated to Canada in 2020 from, Faridkot, a city in the Southwestern part of the state of Punjab, India.
After completing her Bachelor of Science at Kwantlen Polytechnical University she started working as a health care assistant, but always felt something was missing
“I felt I was in the wrong field because I was more interested in trade and construction, so I landed a job at a hardware shop.”
From there, after answering questions about power systems and how they work in houses, Sandeep started researching different jobs in the energy sector and discovered Energy Advisor (EA) as a rewarding career. She notes the major draw as the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world by helping people save energy and money and reduce their carbon footprint. Her brother found out about Norquest College and enrolled in the program before her and helped Sandeep apply.
Sandeep expressed thanks to the program team at NorQuest, her classmates and the Verdatech team where she did her field training.
My experience at Norquest was amazing, the foundation level exam prep and EA exam prep were very insightful, well structured, and delivered, and the compilation of the resources was extremely helpful. I am glad I chose Norquest. The certification exams were quite challenging for me because I did not have a long background in construction but again everyone was so helpful and I passed my exams.”
To become a certified Energy Advisor, NorQuest learners must complete two exams required by Natural Resources Canada: the Energy Advisor Foundation Level Exam and Energy Advisor (House) Exam.
The program includes practical and theory content around Building Science (construction methods and mechanical systems, Energy Foundations, performing energy assessments, performing data collection and energy modelling, and providing recommendations. In this program, learners also attend two field sessions with an experienced Energy Advisor. During these two days, you’ll gain experience collecting data from a residential home while interacting with the homeowner and practicing client communication. You'll also have an opportunity to provide upgrade recommendations and energy modelling.
Now that she’s done with the program, Sandeep is working as an Energy Advisor in Calgary and has future plans to assist other students who want to pursue a career in the energy sector.