Mar. 08, 2006 - Issue #542: Crowds/Conversations/Confessions
Trade-ing places: more and more women are discovering the benefits of training in the trades
She’s is also on her way to becoming a journeyman pipefitter and is enrolled in the pipefitter trades program at NAIT’s Patricia campus—one of many skilled trades most women wouldn’t consider as a career option.
Welders, electricians, heavy duty mechanics, carpenters, ironworkers and pipe trades, to name a few, are in great demand in Alberta, but in these starving trades programs, there is less than a four per cent female population.
“I think like anything else, women do just as good of a job as men,” the tiny, blonde Smythe explains. “Women can do this. I’d like to see more women out there.” One of the biggest stereotypes affecting trades programs is that skilled trades are very physically demanding—too physically demanding for the average woman. According to Ron Kachman, dean of Electrical and Electronics Technology at NAIT, this is not the case.
Kachman explains that generally it’s very rare to see women in trades other than hairstyling programs, but skilled trades such as welding are changing very dramatically and now use cutting-edge technology for machine operations. He said these trades can make great careers for women.
“Trades are dependent on smarts rather than on muscle,” Kachman explains. “It’s not assumed that ladies will look to the trades as a career, but a lot of these trades are becoming more technical and are more thinking vocations rather than physical.”
It’s no secret the trades provide great opportunities and great compensation. The average journeyman tradesperson earns a salary of at least $50 000 to $60 000 in a year.
Welding, electrical, and heavy equipment operating trades often include overtime pay, which can produce yearly salaries of $70 000 to $90 000. And there’s no difference between men’s and women’s wages because, often, there is a standard journeyman wage.
The skilled trade shortage in Alberta is only expected to get worse. According to NAIT, within the next 20 years, 40 per cent of jobs will be in the trades and technologies due to the increase in retiring workers.
Smythe says she loves working outdoors and thoroughly enjoys her job as a welder, but admits that the journey hasn’t always been easy.
“I found it hard because I’m feminine,” Smythe says, describing how she would apply make-up before heading off to work, as well as the fact that she has long, manicured nails. “It was like men didn’t like women in the trades.”
Joshua Tookey, at 23-years-old, is a second-year apprentice pipefitter at NAIT, and he says in the two years he’s worked as an apprentice, he’s only worked with one woman.
During his time working with her, she was sometimes treated unfairly.
“Some guys get jealous because some women can do a better job than them,” Tookey says.
Tookey also says his job is “50/50,” requiring both physical labour and a lot of thinking. Math is a huge part of the pipe trades, as well as science and blueprint drawing and reading.
Tara Moxley, 28, is a second-year pipefitter apprentice, and says skilled trades programs aren’t promoted enough to women, agreeing that there’s a certain stereotype associated with the job.
“Any woman can do it. It doesn’t matter what your size is,” Moxley explains enthusiastically. “You don’t have to be big and bulky.”
Moxley discovered her passion for the trades after moving to Alberta from BC and realizing how big of a role the oilfield played in shaping the province’s workforce.
She left her job as a waitress and began a career working as a labourer for an oil company. She was influenced by her boss to take her career a step further and become a pipefitter apprentice.
“He told me, ‘Tara, you’re really good at what you do’ and I was inspired.”
Moxley said her experience working as a labourer felt right, and she had a good feeling about her career choice. “It just felt good and right and natural.”
She says the reason more women aren’t joining the trades is because not enough information is available for those interested in starting a career.
It’s not all about physical work, Moxley explains, and you really need to use your head and your gut instincts in the trades.
“Women are completely capable of this. You won’t have to lift more than 40 pounds,” she adds.
Ron Kachman says skilled trade promotion to women is starting to become more popular.
“When we go to schools and talk about careers, we present what a good career option trades are,” Kachman says.
Skills Canada also holds special sessions for young women to investigate different trades programs.
According to Jackie Smythe, the best thing about learning a skill is that it makes her feel self-sufficient and she thoroughly enjoys the challenge.
“Some people might find it hard, but it’s something you have to put your mind to,” Smythe says. “There’s good pay, great benefits, a great pension, and you can meet a lot of nice people.”
Unlike Smythe’s experience working with men in the oilfield, Moxley says working with the boys has been great.
“I love it actually. It was overwhelming at first,” Smythe says, “but I just can’t say anything bad about the boys.”
She says working with men has encouraged her, because they taught her so much and inspired her to do something she loves.
“Nobody’s pissed me off too bad,” she adds with a laugh. V
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