Be Relentless
With Christmas approaching, we're celebrating a season centered on hope, generosity, and new beginnings. We’re sharing stories of youth whose lives have been transformed through YOUCAN. One of those stories belongs to Porshea.
In Alberta, where women make up only 7% of the skilled-trades workforce, every woman who steps onto a job site becomes part of a movement bigger than herself.
Before joining YOUCAN, she worked whatever jobs she could find, but none of them felt worth investing in. She didn’t feel connected to the work, didn’t feel proud of it, and didn’t feel like it mattered whether she showed up. She graduated during the tail end of COVID and, like many of her peers, wanted to enjoy life with her friends, even if that meant spending the money she didn’t have. She initially pursued the food industry because she loved to cook, but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. She also wasn’t showing up as her best self, often calling in sick or missing shifts, thinking she could always find another job. But when she finally wanted something stable, nothing came through.
“Karma got me,” she said. “I couldn’t get anything.”
The constant rejection left her overwhelmed, depressed, and financially strained. She realized that paying rent, buying groceries, and caring for her dog became harder without steady income.
Her turning point was when she was referred to YOUCAN’s Road to Work program as a way to get her foot into the trades. She was hesitant after another program had already let her down, but she took the chance. The moment she walked into her interview, she felt something shift. For the first time in a long time, she felt hope.
“And throughout it all, the coaches were right there supporting me. They believed in me before I believed in myself"
Porshea, Road To Work Graduate
What changed her mindset was YOUCAN’s hands-on exposure to the trades. Through field trips and Tool Time, she stepped onto real job sites, used tools herself, and watched skilled crews in action. Watching a house being built and learning it takes more than 50 different kinds of trades to build one home opened her eyes to a world of opportunity.
“And throughout it all, the coaches were right there,” she said. “They pushed me, encouraged me, and showed me I was capable of way more than I ever thought. They believed in me before I believed in myself.”
Her interest turned into a career path during a site visit at ARPI’s North. She loved the environment, the people, and most importantly, the work. Shortly after, ARPI’s hired her. The girl who once skipped shifts now shows up early, stays consistent, and pushes herself even on tough days.
“If I want people to take me seriously, I need to show them I’m willing to work hard.”
And as one of the few women stepping into the trades, she carries a quiet, bold confidence: “Most women are scared to do a man’s job, but once you get your foot in the door, you realize — you can do it just as well, if not better.”
Her success is a direct reflection of what YOUCAN makes possible. To the donors and sponsors who keep programs like Road to Work running, Porshea has one message: thank you. Your support didn’t just give her training — it gave her hope, confidence, stability, and a future she can see clearly.
This Christmas season, we’re reminded that hope is often given through simple acts of generosity.
For every young person who gets a chance like Porshea did, there are many more still waiting for someone to believe in them. Thank you for helping us open doors, create opportunities, and bring a little more light into the lives of Edmonton youth this holiday season.