A Changing Wind In Construction Creates Opportunities For Talented Tradeswomen
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Whether actively or subconsciously, through decades of entrenched systemic exclusion and lack of opportunity, women have largely been on the outside looking in when it comes to making headway in skilled trades in construction. This rings as true in BC as the rest of North America. Thankfully an increasing shift is occurring, the industry beginning to participate in creating a more egalitarian, welcoming playing field for talented women. But, there is much work to do.
Lisa Stevens
“Women are still barely five-percent of tradespeople in BC and that is not changing quickly enough,” explains Lisa Stevens, Chief Strategy Officer of the BC Construction Association. “A big part of the barrier is the culture of the construction industry, not just in regard to tradeswomen but overall. Programs like the Builders Code are starting to have a positive impact, because by signing on employers and owners are publicly stating their commitment to psychological as well as physical safety on the worksite. Tradespeople are beginning to look for Builders Code employers when job hunting, because it represents a more modern employer and healthy culture. But there is still a long way to go.”
Builders Code Project Manager Rishi Sharma (far left) with members of the HeroWork team, an organization dedicated to renovation projects for charities
Builders Code Project Manager Rishi Sharma describes, “The builders Code is a holistic, larger vision for the industry, making it more comfortable and healthier for all workers. For women, we care about retention. There is a high percentage of women who get into the trades, finish school, their apprenticeship, then shortly leave, perhaps because of entrenched attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. The training programs and policy guides we offer, from the foreman and owners, to on-site workers is designed to create environments where everyone feels safe and welcomed. This hopefully leads to women remaining in their trade.”
A growing number of construction employers large and small have embraced the Builders Code credo, including Mazzei Electric in Nanaimo and LNG Canada, the latter having specific thoughts on women’s place in construction.
With a growing shortfall of skilled workers to fill roles in the decade to come, LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz understands the deep necessity of growing the number of women amongst tradesfolk ranks. Speaking to Royal Bank of Canada’s John Stackhouse about the slim number of women in the construction labor force (fewer than four-percent), Andy says, “This lack of diversity is not a women’s issue, it is a workplace issue. We are missing out on a talented demographic. We want women to know there is a place for them on our projects.”
In November of last year, LNG launched a four-week training program co-helmed by Women Building Futures, a non-profit established in 1998 to support women through trades training and mentorship. Together, they provide travel costs, lodging tuition and equipment for women looking to establish their careers in the skilled trades. LNG is also dedicated to increasing the number of women working on their various projects.
Of course, the bedrock of a tradeswoman’s career begins in the classroom. Greater Victoria’s Camosun College has created a foundational support system for women with the Women in Trades Training initiative (WITT), offering sponsorship for trade sampling programs for women, as well as sponsorship into trade specific foundation/pre-apprenticeship programs.
Camosun College Women in Trades Program Lead Sarah-Jayne Roe will see two-hundred women sponsored Over the next 2.5 years through the Women in Trades Training (WITT) program
Camosun’s Women in Trades Program Lead Sarah-Jayne Roe notes, “Some important aspects of the Women in Trades Initiatives are the networking opportunities we foster. Social events such as breakfasts, luncheons, site tours, speaker days and volunteer opportunities help to create a sense of community for the women and encourage mentorship.”
In the next two years, Camosun will sponsor two-hundred women entering the trades. The Vancouver Island Construction Association is also doing its part in building momentum for tradeswomen, particularly via their Women in Construction (WiC) members. Victoria Chapter Chair Kathy Price of Knappett Projects Inc. describes their focus on promoting and supporting female participation in the construction industry.
“Throughout our events we have been fortunate in hosting a diverse group of women, from accountants to engineers. Each event is bigger and better than the last thanks to all the support from our sponsors, tour guides, event hosts and especially our members. Our Victoria Chapter currently has 552 members, and we average about 40 attendees at our events. Although intended to be educational and informative, with a focus on personal growth, it is the social interactions with like-minded women which feels just as valuable.”
Women are a needed force in construction, and the industry is indeed waking up to this immutable fact. Women-led organizations are most certainly building inroads into and creating a new, healthier skilled trades ecosystem. The other half of that momentum requires the allyship of male leaders and colleagues in construction to secure this more inclusive, mutually beneficial future.
Vancouver Island Construction Association CEO Rory Kulmala is one of those allies.
States Rory, “Women are, and will continue to be, a vital component of our workforce and I want to see it grow and improve so that women are welcomed, valued and treated respectfully and equally.”
