There was a time when the word “ironworker” would conjure the image of a rough, burly man doing rough, burly work.
Fast-forward to 2015, and it’s increasingly apparent just how out-of-date that image is with women becoming increasingly represented in skilled trades across the board.
Kalissa Walker knows first-hand about women’s experience on construction sites and in the trades.
The 22-year-old is one of 11 women who recently completed the first Ironworker Readiness class, which is a joint effort between Women Building Futures, the Northwest Redwater Partnership and the Alberta Ironworkers Apprenticeship and Training Plan.
This time next week, they’ll be on the job about 10 km east of Gibbons, doing their part to help bring the Sturgeon refinery on line.
Walker’s known for a long time she wanted a job that would keep her active, physically fit, and working with her hands. She spent three years working various construction jobs, including equipment operator and safety consultant, before a dry spell in the fall.
“I was off work for almost five months,” she said. “Then I found out about the program, thought this was a great opportunity, and said, ‘I’m going for it.’”
After four weeks of class work, some through Women Building Futures focused on communication, workplace relations and safety and more from Alberta Ironworkers Apprenticeship and Training plan focused on theory and practice of ironworking, she’s ready to get her hands dirty as a first-year apprentice.
Women Building Futures is a registered charity dedicated to helping women pursue and advance their careers in the trades in Alberta.
Walker credits the organization’s efforts with getting her the education to prepare her for this job, and for the job she’s scheduled to begin at the refinery.
The opportunity that Walker and her 10 classmates have is one Alberta’s Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd said she would have loved to have when she was deciding on her own career path.
“If I were younger again, I would absolutely be getting into the trades,” she said. “I’m old enough that when I was younger and looking at careers, there weren’t as many choices for women as there are now.”
McCuaig-Boyd, who worked as a vice-president of the Grande Prairie Regional College’s Fairview campus prior to being elected, and choked up as she told the graduates she had always dreamed she would one day see an apprenticeship class full of women, and noted how proud she was to see that happen.
“As Energy Minister you inspire me, as a mother you inspire me, and as a woman you inspire me,” she said.
For Walker, her hope is that the success of the Women Building Futures program will help encourage more women to see the trades as a viable option.
“It felt very positive and empowering coming out of it. I wouldn’t have thought a couple years ago of going into ironwork, but now I want to see it. I want to breathe it,” she said. “I hope any girl or woman who wants to get into the trades will just go for it. It’s very fulfilling, it pays well, and there’s a lot of incentive.”
