DANIEL ROBERTS kicked off his career in the pipe trades in 2007. Prior to this, he worked on vac trucks and helped his father on his steamer. After that, Daniel worked as a laborer on small diameter pipelines helping the welders around site and working with the pipefitters measuring up the facility piping systems.
After two years of working in the pipe trades, Daniel went to school for a trades certificate to grow his knowledge, with the hope of one day running his own project and passing knowledge to the new generation of trades.
Daniel received his Journeyperson certificate and started leading his own team of pipefitters. This accelerated Daniel’s path to senior roles, such as Superintendent and Construction Manager, where he acquired the interpersonal skills required to manage teams. Daniel recalls, “You need to be able to roll with the punches and not get too excited when things are not going as planned. There are all sorts of different personalities out there and everyone retains and understands information differently, it’s all about finding each person’s niche.”
Important beliefs:
- Everyone should be given the tools for success. Passing knowledge to the newer generation is beneficial to our industry’s longevity. I believe more people should take time to educate others and not get frustrated if someone doesn’t understand immediately. Everyone has their own way of learning and understanding.
- Stay humble when you don’t know something. Ask for help and guidance.
- Quality is the second most important aspect (after safety) on the site; adhering to specifications and codes at all times.
- Maintain morale on site by being friendly and welcoming to other. The happiness levels of your crews is reflected in the quality of their work.
- Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
