Loading ...

By TALA MUHTADI
Staff Writer

Then why is number of female students in trades programs the same as 13 years ago?

Despite Niagara College’s attempts to encourage women to consider trades programs, it doesn’t seem to be working. Only two women will be graduating from the Automotive program in June.

Wayne Toth, co-ordinator of the Motive Power program, says Niagara College is seeing the same number of females enrolled in trades as 13 years ago.

“We’ve got to do a better job,” Toth says.

According to Statistics Canada only 4.5 per cent of workers in skilled trades are women. The two women in the automotive program say many women are intimidated by their lack of skills and knowledge in the fields.

Second-year Automotive student, Christenah D’Archi, did not know that working in trades is an option for her. After picking up some car skills from her friend’s father, who helped her fix her car many times throughout the years, D’Archi gained interest in trades.

“It’s incredibly empowering to be able to fix my car, it’s a good feeling,” D’Archi says.

Being in a male dominated program, D’Archi struggles with relating to the other students in class. Attending the college’s Women in Trades meetings and having Samantha Antoine with her in class made her aware how important it is to find support.

“I didn’t realize how nice it was to have another female around to talk to about trade related things,” says D’Archi.

Antoine joined the one-year program with no knowledge about cars. She enjoys the program so much she switched to the two-year co-op program.

“I love being able to do something myself instead of having to rely on other people to help me,” Antoine says.

Antoine says the program starts with the professors expecting students to know nothing, so women shouldn’t be scared to try trades.

“It never hurts to try, you really don’t need to know anything,” she says. “They teach you everything you need to know.”

Toth says there are more women bringing in their vehicles for services at the repair shops and they feel they would like to talk to a female either at the counter as a service manager, service advisor or at the shop as a service technician which means there are many opportunities and demands for women in trade.

Isaac Ricard, one of the many male automotive students says, “There should be more [women] coming in, there shouldn’t be the whole sexist point of view to certain occupations,” says Ricard.

He says the process of getting more women into trades should start at a younger age like elementary school or high school.

“I was pushed to go into different trade programs, whereas some of my friends who were girls were pushed to go to the academics,” says Ricard.

Niagara College searches for ways to get more women in trade.

“The plant manager for general motors is a female and she is very interested in working closely with us on how do we get more females into the program,” says Toth.

“We run STEM program which brings students from public schools into the college introducing them to trades and hopefully getting them interested, even before they go into high school.”

Technology is only adding to the demand.

“There is a demand, there is a need, it’s not the grease monkey job anymore it’s very high tech,” Toth says.