Working ‘ten times harder’ than men
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A Charlottetown woman is fixing the underrepresentation of women in skilled trades, which has less than five per cent employed on P.E.I.
Cheryl McNeill is the project coordinator of Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA), which represents every trade for women, including carpentry, electricians, plumbing, welding, and machinists.
She knows first-hand what it's like to work in a male-dominated environment.
"I am a power engineer by trade, and I worked at a local food processing plant for six years, first in the boiler room and then up the ranks to become a supervisor,” she says. “I didn't have any females working with me and uniforms were always an issue. I could only wear men's workwear, which was the only option."
Providing women with safety clothing needs to be addressed on P.E.I., said McNeill.
"It's a safety hazard."
To prove her worth, she worked "ten times harder," never missing a shift while sacrificing family time as a single parent of four girls.
"Typically, trade jobs don't cater around daycare time, and I find women are expected to work like they don't have kids but raise kids like they don't have work,” she says. “It's a vicious circle. I always had hired help because there were many years, I worked my butt off, and 90 per cent of my income went to daycare to prove to the men that I could work in that environment."
Before McNeill worked on the Island, she was a petroleum technician in Alberta.
"When I went to Alberta, it opened my eyes to technology. I was fascinated by the oil industry and the whole engineering process. I had no exposure before. And therefore, I feel we need to introduce skilled trades into schools at grades 7, 8, and 9."
McNeill hopes more youth will see this sector as a viable path after graduation.
"There's a great need for skilled trade workers on P.E.I. We're in a crisis right now for carpentry and all skilled trades. I have a degree and it left me with debt, but the trades made me money. I believe my program will help push more women into the trades – where you can make a good living."
Addressing barriers
OAWA assists in enhancing employment outcomes for women by addressing barriers limiting their entry into the workforce. It helps women advance and complete an apprenticeship in Red Seal construction trades. In addition, women are connected to employment, support, networking opportunities, coaching, and mentoring.
"My career as a power engineer would have been more comfortable if I had the mentorship and the support because many women entering these careers often have to deal with isolation,” she said.
But the advantages of women in the trades can be tremendous.
"Women can be more personable and offer reassurance for an older person that lives alone, plus they are great at multitasking because it's part of their genetics,” she says. “And lacking upper body strength should never be an issue because of teamwork. We have teams for a reason, and with the right balance of men and women makes a great team."
The OAWA P.E.I. office, located at 159 John Yeo Dr. in Charlottetown, works to develop partnerships with employers, unions, government and training institutions to assist in accomplishing these goals.
Go online: Visit www.womenapprentices.ca/pei to learn more.
