EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT JAI ROSS
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Jai Ross works as a fibreglasser in the mould shop at West Head Boatbuilders Ltd . Primarily , she works with a team , building the hulls of the boats . When you speak to her , the one thing you are certain to hear is , “ I really like it here . It ’ s pretty amazing and it ’ s pretty cool !” You can tell by her relaxed demeanor that she is feeling comfortable and quite at home . And Jai loves her job !
When asked how she got started working in the field of boatbuilding , she quickly refers to her mother . “ My mom was working at Dixon ’ s boat shop and I was working in health care ,” Jai recalls , “ but I discovered that health care wasn ’ t a good fit for me , so I followed my mother to Dixon ’ s .”
Over time , Jai worked for several smaller businesses and then began working for West Head on a part-time basis . About a year ago , she began to work in the mould shop full-time . One of the things that she finds amazing is how her fellow staff members are so willing to help her find ways to properly lay the cloth and do all
JAI SAYS , “ WEST HEAD IS LIKE A FAMILY TO ME , AND BEING THE YOUNGEST ONE HERE , THEY TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME AND KEEP ME ON MY TOES .”
aspects of her job more efficiently . “ I ’ ve learned so much since I came here !” she says . “ I ’ m not overwhelmed anymore . I ’ m much more confident now !”
In a typical day , Jai does a lot of cloth cutting , cloth laying , and steel rolling . When she gets some down time , she organizes extra cloth so it ’ s easier to find what she needs for the next project .
Jai agrees that it can be a nerve-wracking job , knowing that people will be on the water on those boats , and you need to have confidence in the product you are sending out ! Clients often stop by the shop during construction , and Jai is always interested to know where the boat is going and what it will be used for . She says , “ The boats are getting bigger all the time .” She was used to working on boats in the 40-foot range but now works on 50 – 60 footers . ( The one in the shop during this interview was 31½ feet wide by 60 feet long .)
Jai says , “ West Head is like a family to me , and being the youngest one here , they take good care of me and keep me on my toes .”
Jai feels privileged to have worked in several different boat shops and has seen many finished projects go through the doors . “ A lot of people get into it for the money ,” she says , “ But I ’ m just proud of what I do ! It ’ s pretty cool !”
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