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Women in Skilled Trades: How DC is helping women network and thrive

When considering a career in the skilled trades, first-year Millwright student Hannah Peppiatt said she was looking for a career where she could work with her hands.

“I have some family in the skilled trades and I came for an open house and I fell in love with the millwright trade and I’m really enjoying the program so far,” she said.

Her classmate Savannah Wagner chose the Mechanical Technician – Millwright program after being introduced to a range of trades through Trades Fundamentals program.

“I was really determined to find a trade I liked,” said Wagner. “I joined in on some second-year pneumatics classes and that’s what really drew me into millwrighting, I really liked that. Millwrighting piqued my interest.”

There are roughly 200 women, representing about 13 per cent of students, in skilled trades programs at Durham College (DC). To support them in pursuing their career goals and succeeding in their chosen field, DC is focused on fostering an inclusive environment and connecting women with mentorship and networking opportunities.

Women in the Faculty of Skills Trades and Apprenticeship are automatically members of our Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) group, explains Donna Chisholm, Skilled Trades Coordinator at DC.

“We do meet-ups, we keep them informed about things that are going on related to women and the trades,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to network, when you’re in one particular trade, you may not necessarily meet all the women on campus, so it’s good to connect.”

Recent federal funding also helped establish a Durham chapter of Women on Site, creating community for apprentices and women in the trades.

Peppiatt and Wagner both participate in the WIST group and they appreciate leadership from people like Arian O’Neill-MacLellan, Program Coordinator for the Welding Engineering Technician program.

“They organize tours for us tours in places like Gerdau, we went to OPG which was amazing – there’s monthly support meetings, there’s socializing, connection events and there was even one up in Peterborough and you can also just network and speak to them, you can email these women and they’re very open,” said Peppiatt.

Guest speakers are invited to help educate and inspire, as well. Recently, a member of UBC Millwright Local 2309 spoke at DC about supports for women in the trade.

“She was really good about talking about her experience with men in the skilled trades and what we could expect,” said Wagner.

While the supports contribute to a positive experience, there are still challenges to women in the trades. Both students believe that as more women enter the field, barriers will be reduced. To encourage that, DC actively works to create opportunities for young women to explore the trades.

For example, in February, about 100 high school-aged young women visited the Whitby campus as part of Skills Ontario’s Young Women’s Initiatives to learn about the trades and possible career paths.

“They took part in workshops and learned about the different trades,” said Chisholm. “We’ve done it for a few years now and then in April, we have our larger event, the Young Women in Science, Technology and Trades Conference.”

Peppiatt is already paying it forward to the next generation of women by signing up to work with students building birdhouses in one of the workshops.

“It’s important to show women they can be here, they can be supported and it’s achievable,” she said. “I think if we continue to do those things and make a pathway for women, it will encourage them to go into these fields. It can show them it’s a possibility so they see that there’s a space for them in the trades.”

The ultimate goal, said Chisholm is to make it easier for the next group of women entering the skilled trades.

“We’ll keep bringing women in the trades on campus to talk to our students, I find that that one of the most impactful things is when they see another woman in the trades,” she said. “It’s getting the message out there more and more that you can have a really good career in the trades that pays well.”

DC Automotive Technician grads shine in skills competitions picking up real-world skills

Graduate Spotlight: Alexander Hartley and Destry Young

Competing in skills competitions has proved to be a confidence boost for Durham College (DC) Automotive Technician – Service and Management (Motive Power Technician) students preparing to enter the real world of work.

Alexander Hartley was thrilled to win a gold medal at Skills Ontario this spring, and enjoyed the opportunity to compete nationally where he placed fourth at Skills Canada in May.

“This has been huge for me and my success in the trade and it will continue to be as I move up in the automotive industry,” he said.

In addition to competing, Hartley describes participating in a special project team and helping to build kit cars as a DC highlight.

“This gave me more experience in the aftermarket side of the auto world. I can’t thank my professors and the school enough for the time and experience they’ve given me,” he said. “I absolutely love the atmosphere of Durham College with so many other like-minded people around me who are also into the trades and many that love the automotive sector as much as I do.”

Looking towards the future, Hartley said he wants to eventually open a custom car shop.

His classmate, Destry Young, is also looking at owning his own business after graduating this spring. He wants to run a business focusing on restoration while doing various other jobs like selling parts, general repair and towing in between large projects.

Young said he began his college journey with some hands-on experience so his focus was on becoming a licensed mechanic.

“Having now completed the program and meeting many great professors through both my classes and the skills competition, I can say going to Durham College became significantly more than a step towards getting licensed,” he said. “The theoretical and hands-on knowledge I gained, primarily in second year, complemented what I had already learned from working in the trade and I believe it has put me leaps and bounds ahead of where I was two years ago.”

Young also competed in the Skills Ontario competition earning a bronze medal.

“As part of the skills competition, the professors and mentors at DC were able to provide me with priceless knowledge to help my understanding of everything that goes into making cars work,” said Young. “And that knowledge combined with my real-world experience has drastically boosted my confidence towards being a successful technician and eventually licensed mechanic.”

As he graduates, he said the thing that stood out the most about his DC experience was the openness of the classroom environment where faculty were open to both questions and suggestions on improving the learning experience.

“The best thing about DC was absolutely the people I got to meet along the way – good friends, mentors, and professors that helped to push me further than I ever could have gone alone.”