Can girls work as carpenters, as electricians and in other skilled trades? Of course.
Do they? Not really.
According to Julia Biedermann, the executive dean of Conestoga College’s schools of engineering, information technology, trades and apprenticeships, women make up about 15 per cent of Canada’s current workforce in the skilled trades.
It’s a longstanding issue, and one which the school has long had a hand in trying to address.
Part of Conestoga’s efforts include the annual ‘Jill of All Trades’ day, in which high school-aged girls from around southern Ontario come to the school to learn about the trades and get hands-on experience.
“We are passionate about getting more women into skilled trades,” Biedermann said.
This year’s event took place Wednesday, with more than 200 students in attendance.
They learned a little bit about fields ranging from construction to auto repair. Some seemed more open to the possibility of careers in the trades than they had before the day began.
“They tell us that they need more women, and I know what I’m doing,” said Victoria Williamson, a Grade 10 student from Clinton who spent the day honing her bricklaying and electrical skills.
Even students who professed little interested in changing their career paths seemed grateful for the learning opportunity.
Students also got the chance to meet people like Monica Chamberland, a graduate of Conestoga’s Women in Skilled Trades program.
“You’re working with all women, so it’s really empowering,” she said of her time at Conestoga.
Since graduating, Chamberland has ended up with a Guelph company that focuses on sustainable construction. She says she’s received “nothing but encouragement” from her male coworkers.
With reporting by Stu Gooden
