Frankie Martella has spent many years studying, and now working for the Lester B. Pearson School Board. Frankie currently works in the Educational Services Department of the board. Frankie has had quite a varied career trajectory. Since finishing high school, Frankie has worked in a variety of industries and jobs: accounting, construction, demolition, transportation.

Frankie’s professional journey

Like many others, Frankie was encouraged to attend CEGEP once he finished high school. He applied and was accepted at Dawson, where he did not last one semester. College was not for him. As someone who enjoys hands-on learning, he knew that he needed to look at alternatives. After leaving CEGEP, He joined a buddy working in demolition and construction while he figured out what he wanted to do. The answer turned out to be something very different from construction.

Accounting Diploma

He enrolled in the Accounting program at PACC, where he graduated in 2008. He did his stage (internship) at a small, local company. Frankie really liked his accounting program. He appreciated the hands-on learning and the preparation for the workforce. He said, “the Accounting program gave me a good foundation of Accounting.”

His first job upon graduation was also at a small company. This suited him well because working for a small company gave Frankie the opportunity to learn a wide variety of accounting tasks. These skills served him well when he got a job at Vitesse Transport in 2010. Frankie stayed at Vitesse for 5 years and then realized that he wanted to do something different.

Once again, construction beckoned Frankie, so he went to work in construction for a friend. His accounting skills came in handy, as he also did the company’s bookkeeping.

Consistency and stability

By 2019, Frankie was job searching. He wanted a job that provided him with an opportunity to use his many skills while providing him with stability. He reached out to a former teacher, who worked at head office. He asked if there were ANY jobs available. His first job was as a summer replacement caretaker. After the summer, he moved to Cartage. As various positions opened up, Frankie applied. He was hired as a six-month replacement in Human Resources. At the end of his six-month contract, he once again applied for a job. This time, he was hired for a permanent job.

Since July 2020, Frankie has been the Executive Assistant at the Educational Services Department. Frankie is enjoying his new position. He has learned many new skills including setting up the online learning academy last school year.

One more thing

According to Frankie, “the trades are great!”. He wishes that he’d received more information about the trades in high school. He encourages high schools students to look into whatever trade they are interested in. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the trades.

We’re very proud of Frankie’s success!