Jennifer Obleman
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 19, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - There may be more Northern women wielding miter saws, drills, sledgehammers and other tools of the trades thanks to a project spearheaded by the NWT Status of Women Council.

Participants in the NWT Status of Women Council's Northern Women in Mining, Oil and Gas project started the Building Trades Helper Program at the Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre in October 2007. From left, Sarah Tautuajuk, who moved to Yellowknife in May from Pangnirtung, Doreen Desjarlais from Fort Smith, Yellowknife residents Nicole Sutherland and Emelda King and Fort McPherson resident Mariah Peterson take a break from a construction project. - Jennifer Obleman/NNSL photo

Participants of the Northern Women in Mining, Oil and Gas project, a research-based pilot project geared towards increasing the number of women in the trades, started the 12-week Building Trades Helper Program in Yellowknife last month.

The course is going well so far, said Mariah Peterson from Fort McPherson, who wants a career in mechanics or welding.

"It's fun. It's more hands-on and less time in class. It's something exciting," she said.

Yellowknifer Nicole Sutherland, a mother of four, is also enjoying the course.

"Hammering nails is a really fun way to take out your aggressions. It's a great course, and a great opportunity for women," she said.

"There's not enough women in trades, plus there's a lot of work up here in the trades, and as a single parent, I need to make money."

Fort Smith resident Doreen Desjarlais used to work in an office setting, but she has discovered she enjoys manual labour. She hopes to become a heavy equipment operator.

"Because I grew up in the North, I am used to the elements and working hard," she said.

"Plus I want to earn money. That's the bottom line. I want to work, and I don't want to work as a nurse or in an office. I'm glad this option is here."

Twelve women are enrolled in the Building Trades Helper course.

Instructor Ledwick O'Donnell, who also teaches adult, high school, and middle school classes, said this is his first all-female class, and they're eager and attentive students.

"They're willing to learn, to participate. The adult women seem to have work experience, and they catch on a little quicker," he said.

The course is roughly 30 per cent classroom time and 70 per cent practical experience.

Topics covered so far include safety and framing. By the end of the course, women should have the basic skills and knowledge to get a job on a construction site, O'Donnell said.

Another women-only Building Trades Helper course is scheduled to begin in the new year. A Trades Access course will also be held to help women prepare for the Trades Entrance exams.

Another important aspect of the Northern Women in Mining, Oil and Gas project is helping women overcome barriers to education and employment by providing financial assistance or referrals to housing, child care or counselling for participants dealing with family responsibilities, limited financial resources, or social problems such as abuse or addiction.

It's estimated the mining and resource industries will create more than 12,000 person-years of employment in construction in the next 10 years. Less than three per cent of people working in the trades are women, but there's interest in changing that - more than 100 people expressed interest in the program, said Sharon Thomas, executive director of the Status of Women Council of the NWT.

"There's a huge interest, for sure," she said.

"That's where the jobs are, good paying jobs."

Government, industry and labour sectors are partnering in the Northern Women in Mining, Oil and Gas project.