Grow into leadership

Amanda Doornbos knew she wanted more than a string of temporary placements. What she needed was a way to turn the experience she was gaining on the job into a lasting career.

After high school, Amanda spent several years working through temporary employment agencies. She gained exposure to different workplaces, but the stability of a permanent, full-time position seemed out of reach.

To move forward, Amanda decided she needed to add to what she had learned on the job. Loyalist College offered a practical next step: manufacturing training that could help her understand the industry better and become a stronger candidate for full-time roles.

“Within about three months of completing my training, I was offered my first permanent position with benefits and a pension,” Amanda says. “I haven’t worked for a temp agency since.”

Loyalist gave Amanda more than a credential. Through hands-on learning, she developed a stronger understanding of materials, processes and technical problem-solving. She also learned the language of the industry, which helped her contribute with confidence from the beginning.

“It gave me the terminology I needed and taught me how to approach situations,” she says.

Amanda also came to recognize the value in looking at a problem differently. In an industry where people bring a wide range of skills and experiences to the floor, she learned that being a woman in a male-dominated workplace could be an advantage.

“We all think differently,” she says. “This is part of what has kept me going and helped me move ahead.”

That foundation opened the door to a career spanning several local manufacturing environments, including PepsiCo, Emerson, GH Manufacturing and Kruger PRO, where Amanda spent 10 years.

Today, she is a Production Supervisor at Ya YA Foods in Belleville, helping a new facility and team grow together. The company co-manufactures and packages food and beverage products for other brands using aseptic processing technology.

Amanda’s role brings together the two sides of manufacturing she enjoys most: working with machinery and working with people.

“My day involves a lot of troubleshooting and brainstorming,” she says. “The way we’re doing something today might work, but there may be an even better way to do it. I also get to work closely with my team, so I really have the best of both worlds.”

That curiosity is guiding Amanda toward the next stage of her career. She has earned her Yellow Belt certification in continuous improvement and plans to continue developing her skills and helping other employees pursue similar training.

She is equally motivated by the opportunity to help shape the culture of a growing workplace. At Ya YA Foods, Amanda values being part of a collaborative environment where new ideas are welcomed, and every team member can contribute.

“Everybody matters, and everybody is included at Ya YA Foods,” she says. “We’re always learning, growing and becoming better together.”

It’s a long way from the years Amanda spent waiting for a permanent opportunity. Loyalist helped her gain the technical knowledge and confidence to secure her place in manufacturing, and the perspective she once had to work harder to be heard has since become one of her strengths as a leader.

Her advice to someone wondering whether training or a new career could change what comes next is simple:

“Take a chance. You don’t know what doors are going to open when you step through that first one.”

Amanda stepped through hers. Now, as Ya YA Foods continues to grow, she is looking toward an even bigger future.

“Maybe one day,” she says, “I’ll be running the show.”