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December 05, 2025
To start a great career in the trades, you first need a great instructor to teach you the fundamentals. At MITT, our instructors provide hands-on training, clear guidance, and the industry knowledge that can set students on their path to the workforce.
Last Thursday, that dedication was celebrated at Apprenticeship Manitoba’s Awards of Distinction. For the first time ever, the awards featured a category recognizing pre-employment instructors, and five of the six nominees were MITT instructors, including the winner.
Alysha Willis, our dynamic Electrical Applications instructor, won Pre-Employment Instructor of the Year thanks to her passion for teaching and commitment to preparing students for success in the skilled trades.
“I genuinely love helping others understand difficult concepts, especially when that lightbulb moment finally clicks,” said Willis of her passion for teaching. “There’s nothing more rewarding than watching a student move from confusion to confidence and realizing they’re capable of far more than they first believed.”
Willis wasn’t the only bright spot for MITT in that category. Our five nominees in the category showcased the depth of talent across our programs and the dedication and expertise that define our faculty:
- Curtis Bayne – Culinary Arts and Design
- Mary Elliott – Hairstyling
- Robert Jones – Industrial Mechanic/Millwright
- Alysha Willis – Electrical Applications
- Jill Zamrykut – Hairstyling
“The impact of outstanding pre-employment trades instructors can’t be understated, and we at MITT are fortunate to have so many of them across our programs,” said Frank Gallo, Dean of Skilled Trades and Technologies. “Instructors are the ones who help students find their path and give them the tools and confidence to launch their careers.”
For instructors like Willis, it’s all about paying it back. She was once an apprentice too and knows exactly what it’s like to start out in a new trade.
“I remember what it felt like stepping onto a jobsite for the first time as a nervous apprentice, full of questions and uncertainty,” recalled Willis. “I still think of the instructors and journeypersons who guided me with encouragement and patience. Their confidence in me made all the difference. Now I get to do the same for my students.”
Skilled trades education can help students find their career path and change their lives, and it all starts with our instructors. Congratulations to Alysha and all our nominees for leading the way and making that happen every day.
Ready to learn from industry-experienced instructors? Start exploring our college programs at MITT.ca/college-programs to see where your journey could take you.
