Career Options

WIST prepares women for skilled trades careers

When Linda Just found herself unemployed for the first time ever, she didn't know where to turn.

LINDA WHITE -- Special to Sun Media
Send to a friend
Print
In what work environment would you thrive? To find out, take this test by eCareerFit, the career assessment experts.

But a Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) training program has opened the door to new possibilities and built on skills she had already honed in non-traditional jobs.

"I attended a skills day (at the Centre for Skills Development & Training in Burlington, Ont.) and realized that the program was really a perfect fit for me," says the Orangeville resident. "I had done this kind of work for so long but still had so much to learn."

As a maintenance worker with the City of Brantford for 12 years, Just was a jack of all trades, repairing playground equipment, driving a Zamboni, working on plumbing, tiling, landscaping and more. After she moved, she landed a temporary position with the Town of Caledon with similar responsibilities.

"When I started out, I was a bit of an anomaly," says Just, 45. "My dad was a mechanic, so I got my automotive training at home ... I've been a single mom for a long time, so I've always done repairs around the house."


The WIST program was launched by the provincial government to help low-income women develop new skills, find employment and achieve economic independence. It trains women for careers in a variety of skilled trades, including welding, carpentry, landscaping, construction, industrial/metal working and mechanical/ motive power.

Burlington's Centre for Skills Development & Training offers an enhanced general carpentry program that teaches construction safety training, effective use of hand and power tools, framing techniques, drywall installation, trim work, floor finishes, cabinet making, exterior finishes, basic electrical and basic plumbing.

Students also learn First Aid/CPR, basic fall protection, the Ontario Building Code, blueprint reading, estimating, numeracy, communications skills training, and job searching, resume and interview skills.

"My class was made up of women from all different backgrounds, from homemakers to a dental hygienist," Just says. She graduated from the program last fall after completing a job placement with Design Build in Burlington.

Now employed by the company, her tasks include drywalling, roofing, mason work and constructing pre-fabricated trusses. She'd like to one day establish her own company and has already tackled several home renovation jobs.

Graduates have pursued a wide variety of avenues, reports senior programs manager Nancy Moore. Some have pursued new home construction, while others have established home repair businesses and still others are working in home inspection.

Two are working for professional contractor Mike Holmes, best known for his TV show Holmes on Homes. Another, Marissa McTasney of Whitby, launched Moxie Trades, a successful line of women's construction gear in female-friendly colours.

"When screening applicants, we're looking for women who like hands-on work and who have had a role model ... who have worked in the trades so they really know what the culture is like," Moore says.

"We invite them to a skills day to see if they have an aptitude for the trades, like to work in a team and are comfortable with tools ... Once they're accepted, their confidence develops. The nice thing about the trades is that they give you something tangible to look at each day."

linda.white@rogers.com



Bookmark and Share   Send to a friend     Print