Women belong in the skilled trades. Not only that, but they can thrive there.
That was the overarching message sent to Grade 11 and 12 girls from Upper Grand District School Board Thursday at an International Women’s Day event hosted by Skills Ontario.
Around 98 girls attended the event at Linamar, which featured a Keynote address, a panel discussion, a chance to chat with local women in skilled trades, and hands-on workshops.
The panel discussion included former Olympic boxer Mandy Bujold, who recently began working as the manager of industry and community partnerships at the Grand Valley Construction Association, as well as HVAC technician Nate Reinert, health and safety consultant Betty Lofthouse and trades and tech truck program manager with Skills Ontario, Hayley MacKay.
The panelists shared various challenges in their careers, from being too short to reach equipment (men are typically taller than women), to a lack of proper change rooms and a lack of women in general.
“I realized really early on in my career that there were going to be obstacles,” Bujold said.
“In a lot of the industries represented here today, you might have to work a little bit harder when you first show up,” she said. “Have a good attitude, make sure that you’re there, showing that women belong there, and you’re going to get that respect you deserve.”
The other panelists agreed, including moderator Lindsay Chester, the program manager for Young Women’s Initiatives at Skills Ontario.
“It’s not about gender, it’s about your skillset,” she said. “If you take anything away today it should be knowing and understanding your own skills and being confident in that.”
But they’ve noted positive change in the trades in recent years, too.
“Women in skilled trades and women in the industrial, heavy-duty workforces is a hot topic right now,” Lofthouse said. “Even in legislation.”
“We’re actually seeing consideration for women in the workforce being written into law, requirements for companies to provide protective equipment that actually fits women, and we’re seeing requirements in law for bathrooms for females.”
Those may seem like small changes, but she said it’s a big deal to see the government paying attention “and setting up a future for you (girls) to go to work,” she said.
Support is also crucial for success, and one of the best ways
“When I started in the trades, I would call other technicians for advice and support.
“Everybody believes in you, and you have the power to believe in yourself,” Reinert said, adding it’s important to ask for support when you need it and that people are willing to help.
“There’s plenty of people in this room that will help. It’s just about being able to ask for it,” she said.
They also noted it’s important to explore options in the trades – there are likely more diverse roles than you expect.
“There are so many other things, whether on the project management side, whether it’s estimating,” Bujold said. “There is a place for each and every one of you.”
“You belong here,” Reinert said.