Heather Latter
Savannah Hyatt and Vanessa Theriault, Grade 8 students at Robert Moore School here, always had thought of a carpenter as being a job for a man.
But not anymore.
After attending the “Skills Work! for Women” networking dinner at La Place Rendez-Vous last Thursday evening, the teens now know that a woman can be a carpenter, electrician, or whatever career they choose.
“There are lots of jobs I didn’t know I could do,” Hyatt remarked.
“It’s opened my eyes,” echoed Theriault. “Girls can do anything.”
That’s precisely the message Jessica Murphy of Skills Ontario was stressing to the 33 students from across the district—and even as far as Dryden.
“We’re trying to break down gender barriers and let girls know that they can do this stuff, too,” explained Murphy, noting there were local women from the service industry, as well as a landscaper, truck driver, website development manager, and an agronomy research technician, on hand to mentor the teens.
“Do what you want to do—it doesn’t matter if you are a girl or a boy,” mentor Kim Jo Bliss told the participants.
These networking dinners for young women, which began in 2000, take place all across Ontario, with the Northwestern Ontario event alternating between Kenora, Dryden, and Fort Frances.
And just two events this year, including the one here in Fort Frances, opened the invitation to girls as young as Grade 8.
“It’s really great to get them thinking about it at that age,” Murphy said, adding about half of the 33 participants were in Grade 8.
“They really seem to be enjoying it and getting a lot out of it,” she enthused.
“We hope it inspires them and builds their confidence because these careers as so achievable for them.”
Murphy noted women account for less than three percent of the major trade groups in Canada, with more than 50 percent of current trade personnel expected to retire by 2018.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for women,” she remarked.
Murphy added the networking dinners, which offer a relaxed environment for participants to listen, ask questions, and meet new people, are successful because it gets the girls thinking about new career opportunities.
“It was a great experience,” said Hyatt. “I didn’t know about apprenticeship programs.”
“I’m glad I came because I’m not sure what I want to be and now I have lots of ideas,” Theriault reasoned.
Skills Canada—Ontario is not alone in working to address the gender gap in skilled trades and technologies.
Some high school offer specific girls-only tech classes while other organizations providing industry-specific support, advocacy, and mentorship for women.
