Rebecca Chenier said that she was overwhelmed trying to find a career to support her family. She came across an ad for Women in Skilled Trades at WEST of Windsor and looked into it.

Here's a note for recruiters: Rebecca said that she might not have followed up if the ad hadn't mentioned women.

Now a Red Seal General Machinist, Rebecca joins host Nour Hachem-Fawaz to discuss:

• Why mentors are important
• The benefits of being a machinist
• Advice for young women
• Tips for companies looking to engage with prospective women staff
• What makes Centerline a remarkable employer
• What teachers can do to help students who show an interest

“Foster that interest...If someone is showing up they are already interested.” 

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Brendan Sweeney is the Managing Director of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing. Prior to his appointment with the Trillium Network, Brendan served as the Project Manager and Research Director of the Automotive Policy Research Centre (APRC) at McMaster University, where he also taught in the DeGroote School of Business and the School of Labour Studies. Brendan holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Queen’s University and a B.A. in Labour Studies from McMaster. He has also held appointments in the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University and the Department of Economics at the University of Manitoba and spent a year at the University of Washington as a Visiting Fulbright Scholar.

Brendan joins Nour Hachem-Fawaz to discuss why gender equality is important for the workplace as well as the economy, and what companies can do to improve diversity. Examples of what has worked for others is the focus of Trillum Network's February 2021 report, Gender Diversity and Ontario Manufacturing: Lessons from Five Leading Companies. The report highlights the work that five Ontario manufacturers have done to bring balance to their workplace by increasing the number of women in their plants and includes strategies, policies, and practices to build diversity and inclusion (and support ongoing initiatives). 

Are you working towards building a more balanced workforce? Brendan wants to hear from you!

Brendan Sweeney, Managing Director, Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing:

• Cell: (905) 807-2548
• Twitter
• LinkedIN
• Website

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Karyn MacPherson started her career journey at a nonprofit organization after graduating from St. Thomas University with a degree in Environment and Society Studies and a minor in Anthropology. Today, she’s a second-year apprentice electrician. 

“I just wanted to work with my hands, building something seemed more rewarding.”

And so she did! Karyn completed a two-year program at Nova Scotia Community College, a switch that offered Karyn what she felt she had been missing all along.

Karyn discusses some of the myths surrounding skilled trades and ways she thinks companies can tackle them. 

Karyn joined Nour Hachem-Fawaz in this to discuss what it was like training in a male-dominated field, her support system, and the ways companies can be more inclusive on the construction sites.

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Welcome to Episode #020 of Perfectly Unfiltered!

In this episode, Nour talks to Jennifer Sadai to discuss how she was open to making changes in her career and what her employer, WFS Ltd, offers for advancing women.

Jenn is no stranger to change...her first career transition came right after entering the job market where she switched from marketing to building a successful career in the buying sector of manufacturing. 

Although working in a predominantly male field has its challenges, Jenn has nothing but glowing reviews for her employer and the work they do to create a more inclusive workforce.

To hear more on Jenn’s experience navigating a tricky workforce, her happy transition to WFS, and the advice she has for companies, listen now!

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Welcome to Episode #019 of Perfectly Unfiltered!

In this episode, Nour talks to Jenan Abderrahman to reveal her journey to young women who are still deciding. She is a Telemetry Engineering in Electrical, Controls and Energy Systems at Enbridge. Jenan explained that her role is to ensure communication between the Enbridge systems processing and the power supply devices.

Jenan reveals that she chose this path after graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering at Ryerson University. She chose to change the socialization when she discovered that she can broaden her horizons further by pursuing the energy fields. Initially, she wanted to be a teacher to help more young women into the STEM career paths, but she had to adjust her path based on the job market demand.

Today she is an engineer, a role model, an advocate for young women in STEM, and a scientist. They address the impact that the lack of woman's empowerment has on gender diversity among the engineering community and the role of mentorship in a woman's career path.

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Welcome to Episode #018 of Perfectly Unfiltered!

In this episode, Nour talks to Experiential Learning Specialist from the Faculty of Science of the University of Windsor, Michelle Bondy! 

If you're interested in learning more about the Faculty of Science, this episode is for you! Michelle let's us know about the different opportunities students can access during their time at the university.

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Welcome to Episode #017 of Perfectly Unfiltered!

Nour is joined by Kim Quinn from the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and shares her career journey, her motivation, and her vision of the future of women joining the trades.

Kim reveals that boilermakers can expect to earn a high salary from the start, be mentored and guided by their union, and have access to some of the most lucrative positions in the industry, such as at nuclear power plants! They discussed the aptitude and physical requirements, work-life balance, and the path to joining the trade. These opportunities are being vastly missed by women, Kim is passionate about improving gender diversity in the industry.

 Union: boilermaker.ca 

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Welcome to Episode #016 of Perfectly Unfiltered!

In this episode, Nour talks to Jessica Van Rooyen, an Electrician with CUSW. 

They highlight how to stay relevant in a changing market, how COVID increased the importance of the skilled trades, and different programs you can take to see if the skilled trades is right for you!

The project is funded in part by the government of Canada’s Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program. The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.

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Welcome to Episode #015 of Perfectly Unfiltered!

In this episode, Nour talks to Tahira Adatia - a senior manager with Deloitte Canada. Tahira shares with us her career journey, things she wish she knew when she was younger, and what you should look for in your future employer.

All views and opinions are Tahira's and do not represent the views and opinions of Deloitte. 

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