When 24-year-old Shauna Collins knocks on a door with her toolbox in hand, it takes people a second to realize that she is their electrician.
This reaction is quite common to Collins, as she represents the minority of female workers in the trades.
According to a report done by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, a trade and industry association, women only make up 4.5 per cent of all skilled trade workers in Canada.
One of the biggest factors as to why women are less likely to enter the trades is due to discouragement of female enrolment, lack of consideration of the trades as a serious career path, and fear of discrimination on the job.
When women are encouraged by their parents, teachers, and mentors to study more male-dominated and hands-on professions such as working in tech or trades programs, the results show that they not only do consider these paths, but excel in them.
Collins is an example of one of these successful females.
“One of my earliest memories of being a child was being in the garage when I was three years old,” said Collins. “My dad was showing me wires, and was always very hands-on with me as a kid. I became interested in the mechanical side of things, and having my dad being able to show me those things had a huge influence.”
Collins was born in Newfoundland, and came to Ottawa when she was 18 to start her post-secondary education, where she pursued a diploma in holistic nutrition.
Her interest in the trades began when a former boyfriend of hers— who was a plumber—would sometimes bring her to his jobs.
“We did a couple together, and he would say ‘wow you are actually really good at this,’” said Collins.
“I think the interesting thing about women in trades is that we are a little bit more detailed-oriented, and we have a little bit of finesse,” she said, referring back to her boyfriend’s comment.
“There is a womanly aspect that we bring to the table with hands-on things. Putting that into a physical manifestation is really elegant.” – Shauna Collins, electrician
Lots to learn
Collins eventually enrolled in Algonquin College’s electric construction and maintenance program in 2017, where she is now in her third year, working as a full-time apprentice.
In many of Algonquin’s trades programs, apprenticeships are done in stages, and like Collins, students are able to work before they start their practical in classroom courses. However, in both the workplace and in-class environment, the workers are nearly all males.
Every new job has obstacles, but for a woman in the trades, their obstacles are ones that the majority of their male co-workers will never have to experience.
“Some people seem to forget that I’m smart, because I’m a girl,” said Collins. “There was a job that I shared with one of my fellow apprentices, where I was put in charge because I was more experienced in that particular section. Even though it was clear that I was in charge, he would constantly talk over me.”
“Some people feel threatened. It’s an egotistical thing for a female to be taking the lead on that kind of job, that is normally male-dominated,” said Collins.
Kaitlyn Reid, a second-year electrician apprentice understands the isolation and hesitancy in capability that comes with being a woman in the trades, and says she hopes the future of women in trades grows stronger.
“The trades are very physical, and women are typically seen as weaker than men,” said Reid. “A lot of my teachers in high school told me women wouldn’t be hired as an apprentice, so I should just look into something else. It made me want to do it even more.”
Even as a student, Reid has felt a clear distinction between her and her other male classmates, that she cannot understand.
“One time during an assignment that required groups, I was the only person that was by myself, because no one wanted to work with the only girl in the class. No one wanted to risk it, I guess.” – Kaitlyn Reid, a second-year electrician apprentice
In Reid’s case, she was the only female in a class of 30 students at the time, a demographic that will likely not change as she moves into the workforce.
Collins explained that with the majority of workers in the trades being the baby-boomer generation who are reaching retirement, there will soon be a very large need for trades workers.
Due to this, many colleges and universities are searching for ways to integrate more women into these trades.
Algonquin College is implementing a brand-new program called “We Saved You a Seat,” starting this summer in order to encourage more females to consider Algonquin as their first step in starting a career in the trades.
“We Saved You a Seat” is a new registration program that withholds 30 per cent of all registration seats aside solely for women, meaning that as long as they meet the requirements to register into the program, they are guaranteed acceptance without being waitlisted.
Kathryn Reilander, coordinator of the electrical engineering technology program at Algonquin, is leading this new program, and is hopeful that it will draw in a wider female audience.
“We chose to set aside 30 per cent because that’s the critical number where your voice will be heard in a room full of men,” said Reilander. “If we can let these women know that we are saving them a seat, it will encourage a stronger female presence in the program as a whole, so you won’t just have two other girls in your class, but 20 or 30.”
Not only is this increase in female presence beneficial to the students, but to the school and workplace as a whole. To many companies, being a woman in the trades is considered a value, as it implies that the company and school has diversity that many others cannot provide.
“Females are going to improve this program because it is going to be more competitive to get in, forcing all these guys to become more competitive. Slowly bringing more women into the school and then into the industry will end up changing for the better.” – Kathryn Reilander, coordinator of the electrical engineering technology program at Algonquin
Other Algonquin students have said they are excited about this change, even if it creates more competition in the field.
“The millennials don’t care too much about gender—they are much easier to be inclusive,” said Reilander. “I hope even in 10 years, we can start seeing that there is no difference, if you are male, female, transgender, whatever. If you are good at it, do it.”
“‘We Saved You a Seat’ should be 50 per cent, so that if we are working towards a gender equality field, we should put more measure to ensure females are considered even more than they are right now,” said Ronald Ekambi, a recent graduate in the computer systems technician program at Algonquin. “I think women seeing this will understand they are wanted in those fields and will feel more encouraged to join.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “30 per cent is a great start, but I think we can do better.”
Will it work, work, work?
In addition to the new registration initiative, Reilander also hosts a monthly coffee meeting, called “Coffee Clubs for Women in Tech.” The club extends its meetings to every female in the trades and technology programs, for both students and faculty as an opportunity to have a safe place to share their experiences, as well as make connections within the community.
Some of these experiences include sharing feelings and stories of intimidation to go into the trades, in fear of being sexually harassed.
This behaviour occurs not only in trade work, but in all career paths that are historically male-dominated. According to organizational behaviour analysts, Gary Johns and Alan Saks, while the most severe forms of sexual harassment are committed by supervisors, the most frequent perpetrators are actually co-workers.
“I remember one of my first times on the job, a guy who I was working with said ‘the apprentices are a lot more attractive than they used to be,’ and even something as small as that made me uncomfortable,” said Collins.
“I really hated it in the beginning, and I would try to deny my femininity and just get the work done, but in the past couple of years, I’ve realized that if I embrace who I am and be a freaking girl—because I am—it works out best.” –Shauna Collins, electrician
Photos by Paige Kahkonen
