Trade Blazing – Women Apprentices in the Trades

Pictured (l – r): Nicole Howlett – Mobile Crane Operator; Danielle Wells – Welder; Kathy Dunderdale – Premier of NL; Karen Walsh Executive Director (OAWA); Beverly Fagan -Journeyperson Welder; Kim Boland – Bricklayer

So how does the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador move forward from women being shut out of large-scale projects to making them an integral part of project success? That’s been a question of paramount importance over the last few years, as mega-energy projects come on stream in the resource-rich province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA) is assisting women in the trades to trail blaze their way into the trade jobs that are starting to pop up everywhere in the province.

The skilled trade shortage by 2020 is projected to be almost a million people. The OAWA is an initiative of the provincial government of Newfoundland & Labrador, designed to promote women in the trades and that follows suit to Premier Dunderdale’s statement “It’s always important to have women at the table.”

The OAWA works to establish partnerships with employers, unions, government agencies and training institutions in order to increase employment opportunities for female tradespersons. They currently have over 450 female tradespersons in their electronic database and, in shortly over two years, have assisted well over 140 women to obtain jobs in the trades.

“It’s a great feeling of accomplishment when an employer calls our office and says that I am looking for a heavy equipment technician or a millwright or a carpenter, and in the matter of days, we can have a female apprentice on the job site!” says OAWA Executive Director Karen Walsh.

OAWA’s mandate is to assist all women who have completed a trade whether she is a pre-apprentice, looking for her first job or a journeyperson, who has just completed her Red Seal. The OAWA works on a daily basis in breaking down barriers that impede women’s success in finding jobs in the trades, and they also look at long-term forecasted projects in which they are the voice for the individual female tradesperson.

Recently the OAWA went before the Hebron Independent Review Committee to make a presentation on how women should be included in the Hebron project, by citing percentages of female tradespeople who should be hired for the project and also addressed many other areas of concern for women. The career lives of women have been enhanced due to the existence of an office that is available to assist with their employment searches, and which can identify and work on barriers that can be removed to enhance the workplace for females and make females in the trades part of the norm.

Erin Keough a 1st year residential electrician now works full-time with KJH & Son. Erin decided to become an electrician because she initially found an interest in electricity in high school. She went on to complete her electrical trade and had no obstacles during her training; however, the job search was not as easy as she expected, and after two years of endless job searching, she credits her employment success to the unfaltering persistence of the OAWA in assisting her. Erin says “I was thrilled when I finally got my big break,” and now she feels all the waiting and searching has paid off. She is currently working in residential construction— with a team of men! When asked what it’s like to work with men all day, Erin said, “It’s great, and I feel fully accepted.”

To reach journeyperson status is no small feat in itself, but when you are a woman, trade blazing into new territory, the success is that much sweeter. Beverly Fagan achieved her journeyperson status as a welder in April of 2011, and this past year, she has worked in Voisey’s Bay, in Labrador for a shutdown and at Metal World in St. John’s. She is not sure what the next couple of years will bring, but says that she would love to travel with her job, and now her Red Seal journeyperson status will open those opportunities for her.

Beverly always liked crafts, in particular, stained glass, and one day when a friend saw a piece of her work, she said, “If you love this so much, why not become a welder?” Beverly said, “a light bulb just went off.” She had worked in retail for years and went to university, but could never quite decide what she wanted to do. But after taking a short course in Orientation to Trades and Technology, she thought welding was perfect. She had the opportunity to try on many trades, and as soon as she picked up a welding torch, she said, “This is it.” She has not looked back since.

Beverly got her job as a first-year welder with Steel Fab and has enjoyed many employment opportunities since. She says that she enjoys working with men and is “one of the team.” She fits in and is not treated differently because she is a woman. Beverly says she uses the support of the OAWA on a regular basis, and it is a great way to stay connected with other women in the trades.

The number of women in the trades is growing, and the acceptance of women working in the trades is widening.