Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 30/05) - Forty-three women from across the NWT applied for eight spots in a women-only introduction to carpentry course in Yellowknife at the Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre.

Nicole Gordon, left, and Beatrice Drybones consult on the placement of a side-piece on Drybones' nearly-completed stool. Gordon is looking at the upcoming women-only course through Aurora College in January as an option. - Andrea Markey/NNSL photo

Some women were willing to relocate from Fort McPherson and Aklavik to attend evening sessions of the five-week course offered through the Status of Women Council of the NWT, said Eileen Marlowe, the council's project co-ordinator with the Women in Mining, Oil and Gas program.

"There was great interest," she said.

The course, now in its fourth week, is intended to give the women an opportunity to see if they are interested in continuing in trades, and learn new skills.

Everything from interpreting blueprints to equipment operation is covered in the class, with an emphasis on safety.

April Bekale will complete a folding step ladder by the end of next week.

"I watched my dad build a house in Rae Lakes and that got me started," she said.

While she had some exposure to carpentry going in, others did not.

At the start of her course four weeks ago, Beatrice Drybones picked up a power tool for the first time.

Hearing it was a women-only class was part of the draw, she said.

"Anyone can do it," she said. "I look forward to showing my family the stool I am making."

Learning more about construction so as to use her new skills at home was one reason Nicole Gordon signed up.

Now she is considering taking further training because she has enjoyed it so much.

"There are young women looking for their first career and also women who are perhaps looking for a career change," said Allyson Stroeder, co-ordinator of the Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre.

"I think there is a huge untapped labour force in the NWT - women."

"They are out there and they have the capabilities and interest."

While the end product is the same, the process in women-only classes can be quite different, she said.

"When one person is past a certain point, and the instructor helped them, then they go and mentor the other students," she said."That's more prevalent in women-only classes."

And the women-only courses are proving popular. The eight spots in the construction trades access for women program offered at Aurora College in January are already full with women from around the NWT.

"We were quite surprised with the response," said Robert Ward, program co-ordinator for the North Slave region.

The 17-week course is split between academic upgrading and shop work.