Women are entering careers in trades and technology.
by Heidi Riley
Reprinted with permission from
The Employment Journey
www.employmentjourney.com
Grant Smith, manager of Mr. Plumber in Charlottetown, supervised Carrie MacDonald as she began the process of Apprenticeship in the plumbing trade this summer.
Trade HERizons, a program coordinated by Women’s Network PEI, helps women explore and enter careers in trades and technology. They help women address the barriers they may face in entering training and non-traditional workplaces.
During the course of the program, participants are helped to:
• learn about trades and technology programs
• visit work sites and college classrooms
• write resumés and cover letters
• create a portfolio of past work and personal accomplishments
• research the labour market
• connect to community resources that can help with child care and living expenses
• make college and loan applications
• identify learning disabilities
• find affordable housing and transportation
• meet with educators and potential employers.
On the job training and support
Project staff continue to support participants as they complete post-secondary training and connect with employers.
“Many past participants are working on their Apprenticeships, in training, or have found employment in a wide variety of careers,” says Catherine Ronahan, Project Coordinator, Trade HERizons. “Fields include cabinet making/woodworking, plumbing, welding, carpentry, information technology, bioscience, contact centre support, food service, landscaping, and corrections.”
A participant’s story
Carrie MacDonald started in Trade HERizons in January. Program staff encouraged and guided her through the process of getting her driver’s license and earning her GED, two of the many steps necessary to reach her goal.
“The program helped me explore a number of trades,” says Carrie. “When we looked at plumbing, I knew right away that this was the trade for me. I enjoyed it. And I liked the idea of getting out of the shop and being outside. I have always liked fixing things. Plumbing didn’t exactly come naturally, but I felt that I could do it.
“The program staff also encouraged me to write the Holland College admissions test in order to get accepted into the plumbing program.”
Carrie is now a registered Plumbing Apprentice. In April, she started work at Mr. Plumber in Charlottetown, and worked there until the end of August. She earned 597 hours which will be put towards her required number of Apprenticeship hours. In September, she entered the nine-month Plumbing program at the Holland College Georgetown Centre, where she is the only woman in the program.
An employer’s view
“Any opportunity to support women in the trades is of interest to me,” says Grant Smith, Manager of Mr. Plumber in Charlottetown. “There is no reason why women can’t have a trades career. Years ago we took on the first woman Apprentice to enroll in the plumbing program on PEI. I was impressed that she would take on such a male-oriented field. She did her on-the-job training with us, moved out west and went on to earn her Red Seal.”
Mr. Plumber has 34 staff. There are 15 Red Seal plumbers, and five are Apprentices. Five staff are women, including the service manager.
“Some customers do treat female staff differently,” says Grant. “They sometimes ask to talk to one of the guys because they think that a female working here must be a receptionist or administrative assistant. That attitude is slowly changing.”
Grant likes to put new Apprentices through their paces, and Carrie was treated no differently. “I wouldn’t ask a staff member to do anything I wouldn’t do. From sweeping the floors to washing windows and picking up garbage in the parking lot, I do it all.
“I look for employees who were brought up with a great work ethic, are dedicated to their jobs, and are not concerned about missing breaks or lunch. They also need to be able to communicate well with customers and fellow staff. I feel that Carrie will do well, because of the training she got here. The guys have accepted her as part of the group.”
Learning on the job
“At Mr. Plumber, I learned so much, and was treated like any other Apprentice,” says Carrie. “I got my hands dirty doing cleaning, was exposed to inventory control, learned the names of parts, went out on service calls with the plumbers, answered phones and learned clerical and business skills, did sales, and sat in on in-house seminars. I even got my fusion weld aquatherm certificate. It was great. I gained a lot of confidence, and I know I can do this job.
“The first six weeks were rocky as I learned the names of all the parts. There is quite a bit of memory work involved in this job. It was challenging at first to keep all that information in my head, but it seems natural now.
“When I went out on a job with one of the plumbers, one customer assumed I worked in the office and was just helping out.
“Because I’m female, I feel I need to prove myself. If I mess up, it will be noticed and will reflect on other females in the trades. I want to do well for the sake of all women in the trades, and I feel confident I can do it.”
Carrie says her two children, who are five and eight, consider their mother’s career choice to be nothing new. “When they get older, they will realize how cool it is that their mom is a plumber,” says Grant.
For more information about Trade HERizons, call Sara Roach-Lewis at 368-5040 or toll free 1-888-362-7373. E-mail: sara@wnpei.org
Visit Facebook and search for Trade HERizons-Women’s Network PEI.
