When I began thinking of the content that I wanted to focus on within this blog, several main ideas came to the forefront of my mind. However, I was certain that statistics and ideas regarding women in trades specifically was something I would be passionate about.
After some research for an assignment within my course study, I was utterly baffled to input these numbers into Statistics Canada and see the results. Despite my experience in the trade and personally witnessing these demographics, seeing it on paper was something quite different. I was shocked to observe that over the last 30 years the number of women in the trades has risen less than 3% nationwide to only 7% overall.
I have been the only female on a construction site of hundreds of individuals more than once. Now that I am an instructor in the same field, I am seeing the narrow influx of women than make the decision to enter into the apprenticeship programs. Typically, out of fifteen students I will see one girl. However, it is not unusual to have a class full of men.
The detail of my experience that I have had with women on site and now in the classroom setting is too long of a tribute for this blog. To say that I've met some of the most well-rounded people in such settings time and again would be an understatement and I do plan to elaborate on it further in a dedicated post on the subject. That's not to say that all women are suited for this job any more than all women are suited to be clerks, waitresses or even mothers. The same way that all men aren't suited to be electricians, firefighters or fathers. I believe there are certain personalities and interests in every group of individuals depending on their skills and personal ambitions.
That said, I wholeheartedly believe that we as a nation are missing out on a valuable resource by not encouraging more women to consider it as a viable option out of high school or post-secondary. Typically, they are well organized, innovative multitaskers that are self-started and driven. All very sought-after traits in a good tradesperson.
We clearly have a long road ahead of us as a society and I encourage everyone reading this to consider the role they play in planting seeds in the minds of our youth. Do you know any women in your life that you feel might be suitable for this career path? A few qualities may include a curious spirit and the ability to be innovative and creative with problems, organizational skills and a positive attitude towards physically demanding work. I never considered myself to be strong with math and it was what kept me out of the trade for several years before finally taking the plunge into the unknown. I learned quickly that although it was helpful to be quick with formulas within the program, it wasn't at the top of necessary attributes that brought me success with my career.
I personally feel I need to do better with affecting the change of these numbers and plan to become more involved with influencing the minds of our younger generation. Hopefully one day in my lifetime, hearing of a female electrician won't have such a shock factor attached to it.
For a full article on the subject and some additional points on what we must do to remedy these abysmal numbers, please read the article in the link below.
Rescources :
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410033502