29 minute read
GENDER EQUITY BEST PRACTICES
Recruitment
An organization’s success in creating gender diversity in the workplace begins with sourcing and selecting interested and qualified female applicants. Recruitment must be designed to attract a diverse group of job applicants.
There are many reasons it can be difficult to attract women to trade jobs, and while several of the challenges are societal, systemic and outside the scope of this report, there are practical steps that organizations can take to increase the likelihood of being successful.
These include:
Promotional Campaigns
Using targeted promotional campaigns can be a very effective means of promoting an organization’s commitment to gender equity within the trades. It is important to cast a wide net to ensure that job opportunities reach beyond the usual referrals from current male trade workers. Using social media effectively will help reach a targeted audience and avoid the trap of hiring more employees who look just like current employees. Participate in local trade career fairs but also consider hosting open houses for local area students and their parents. As depicted in Figure 1 below, Manitoba Hydro used this method to source applicants who may be interested in becoming power electricians.
Figure 1: Manitoba Hydro Promotional Campaign Material
Targeted Advertisements
Targeted job promotions and advertisements can be used to help overcome a number of attitudinal barriers that may exist, including attitudes around gender roles and expectations; lower awareness of the trades and misconceptions or misinformation. For example, women may have concerns about the physical strength demands of certain trade jobs. In many cases, however, new equipment and tools have reduced the requirement to possess considerable strength. An advertisement can be used to clarify the bona fide job requirements and reassure applicants about the minimum standards required to be successful, all while using gender neutral language. Using existing company female trade workers – in photos and stories - who can model the reality of successful women in traditionally male-dominated jobs can be especially effective.
Manitoba Hydro illustrates many of these best practices in their welcoming advertisement depicted in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Manitoba Hydro Welcoming Advertisement for Women in Trades
Selection/Interviewing
Having generated interest from female applicants, it is imperative that selection processes are fair and unbiased so as to not rule out women who may perform very well in trade-based roles. Best practices to help increase the likelihood of hiring diverse candidates into these jobs include:
• Take into consideration potential career gaps due to family responsibilities. Women are more likely to step back from the workforce at times in order to care for family members. Gaps in employment history should not be seen as a negative.
• Consider that skills gained from volunteer work can be as valuable as those gained from paid employment.
• Ensure that any tests used in your organization’s hiring process reliably predict future performance on the job. At
ENMAX, job requirements for trade roles were updated to reflect that there have been advances in equipment and tools.
• Interview panels should be used to screen job applicants. The panel of interviewers should, themselves, be diverse and include women. This will help candidates feel welcome and reduce the likelihood of male interviewers “hiring in their own image”.
• Whether recruiting, hiring, or retraining, success is much more likely when labour unions also prioritize increasing the representation of women in trades roles. Therefore, engaging unions to prioritize female equity and inclusion in trades roles is critical.
• Gender equity targets can also be an effective tool in driving progress by utilities, unions and contractors.
Hydro One is making some progress in increasing female representation within the trades. Using a mixed gender interview panel, they recently hired five female electrician apprentices in a cohort of eleven new hires and six female apprentice foresters in a cohort of thirty-six. Still, they have recognized that there may be systemic issues with their hiring practices that prevent women apprentice applicants from reaching the interview stage, especially in the power line technician trade. In recent labour negotiations, Hydro One agreed with the Power Workers’ Union to jointly review apprentice hiring systems and policies to ensure there were no inherent barriers to hiring diverse candidates.
Figure 3: Recruitment Checklist Based on CEA Guidance
Recruitment Checklist
e Use promotional materials to clearly state the company’s intention to hire women e Promote jobs where women will see them – women’s organizations, trade schools, community centres e Use social media and use female-friendly language and hashtags e Build a presence at local trade schools e Use diverse interview panels when meeting with candidates and ask all applicants the same questions e When using a search agency to fill jobs, make your gender equity goals clear to them e Engage labour unions to prioritize gender equity in recruiting, hiring, and retraining efforts e Set gender equity targets for utilities, unions and/or contractors
While growing up, women may not have exposure to the trades as a viable career path and also might not have acquired some of the skills that are useful in preparing for such a role. Companies that make an effort to educate young women on trades as a career opportunity and help them acquire the required skills, are more likely to see those women join their organization. The following are some programs currently in place at CEA member companies that address both considerations. However, it is recommended that organizations continue to develop engagement programs that educate young women on trades opportunities at an early age. This will help to spur interest and increase the number of women interested in preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
Pre-apprenticeships represent another pathway for women to enter apprenticeships and careers within the trades. A Preapprenticeship is a program or set of services designed to give individuals the necessary requirements to enter and succeed in a formal apprenticeship. Several companies, including Alectra Utilities, Maritime Electric, SaskPower, Manitoba Hydro have established these programs.
Alectra Utilities participates in a number of initiatives aimed at cultivating interest from women in trades and apprenticeship opportunities from a young age. For example, Alectra has partnered with the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) to support the “Your Daughter Her Apprenticeship” event. It is intended to build interest in apprenticeship programs by bringing together parents and high school girls to discuss opportunities with local businesses for apprenticeship opportunities. It is available to the Public and Catholic School Boards. In addition to participating in the event, Alectra also has women in trades and technical roles from the organization speak to students and parents. Similarly, Alectra also partners with the YWCA’s “Equitable Pathways to Technical and Skilled Trades for Women” program, and sits on the initiative’s advisory board. Alectra also facilitates the participation of female mentors from the company to speak to high school women about their careers.
SaskPower’s powerline technician job candidates are assessed to determine if they have the basic skills to succeed in the job. They are given classroom training and evaluated on their ability to climb poles. Then, individuals with high potential are sent to a “boot camp” at SaskPower’s training centre where they participate as part of crew working on powerline facilities. The assessment continues and after several months, those who make the grade are invited to become part of the apprentice program and begin Level 1 training. This type of pre-apprenticeship can help give female applicants early insights into the career and job demands of a powerline technician.
Manitoba Hydro has developed a similar program for women who wish to become powerline technicians or power electricians. For a period of approximately six months, women with limited trades-related experience will be provided with an opportunity to develop the skills required to successfully compete for a position in either the power electrician or power line technician training programs. Educational upgrading is also provided for candidates who do not meet the minimum academic requirements along with on-the-job training and experience. At the end of the pre-placement program, the women are eligible and encouraged to apply to trainee positions within an apprenticeship program.
College Partnerships
To help more women access the training they need to succeed, employers should consider partnering with community colleges and trade schools to help remove barriers to women’s success in non-traditional fields. By working together, these partnerships can provide innovative course curricula, professional development, and support services to those seeking roles within the trades. The following are examples of specific partnerships in place at CEA member utilities.
Alectra Utilities is partnered with Mohawk College’s Women in Technology and Trades (WITT) program. WITT’s focus is on increasing opportunities and supports for women in technology and trades in all fields, through a rich networking and support community. The group welcomes industry, staff, students and faculty across all areas of the college and all genders, backgrounds, races and orientation to become involved and contribute to the support of women in technology and trades. Alectra Utilities is active in supporting the group, including by contributing speakers to WITT’s speaker series, which educates women on utility jobs and careers.
Hydro Ottawa has partnered with Algonquin College in the delivery of a two-year Powerline Technician (PLT) Diploma Program. The company delivers the program’s field-based, hands-on training with Hydro Ottawa employees providing the practical instruction at their facilities. The focus is on helping students learn the trade by doing it. See Figure 4 for a flyer used for the program.
There is an open feedback loop between Hydro Ottawa and the college to constantly improve program elements. As an example, the company informed Algonquin that students often lacked the mechanical aptitude and the ability to work with their hands, so the admissions process was adjusted accordingly to include a mechanical aptitude assessment.
At Hydro Ottawa, we’re proud of our award-winning partnership with Algonquin College in the delivery of a two-year Powerline Technician Diploma Program. Training is our passion, and we’re invested in shaping the next generation of talent within the electricity sector. This partnership offers students one of the most unique learning opportunities in the province. While Algonquin College’s experienced instructors deliver academic components of the curriculum, our employees provide practical instruction at our facilities that helps students learn the trade by doing it with their own hands. Students enrolled in the Powerline Technician Diploma Program develop the necessary skills to design, plan, construct and maintain electrical distribution lines – and they learn it from journeypersons who have spent their careers honing their expertise at Hydro Ottawa. Hydro Ottawa hires exclusively from the Powerline Technician Diploma Program to fill our positions for Powerline Maintainer Apprentices and Cable Jointer Apprentices.
“Our students from the Powerline Technician diploma program have the perfect environment to learn their trade. Through a partnership between Algonquin College and Hydro Ottawa, the students get the privilege to learn and practice their skills with professionals working in the industry. The training provided by Hydro Ottawa is as realistic as students can expect while going to school. This rich environment has enhanced the way we teach our students. It is a great way to learn!”
- Algonquin College
For more information on the Algonquin Powerline Technician program, and on how to apply, visit Algonquin College’s website.
Working with the college, Hydro Ottawa has essentially ensured that all interested and qualified female applicants will be accepted to this highly competitive and demanding program by participating in Algonquin’s We Saved You a Seat program. Graduates of the program have formed an important part of the pool of candidates for Hydro Ottawa Powerline Technicians and Power Cable Technicians as well as other technical jobs within the organization.
Scholarships and Bursaries
Women with families, and especially single mothers, may face significant financial challenges during their training period. Choosing to provide monetary support to women in trade-based education programs is an effective means of signalling to the community that an organization is committed to gender equity in all jobs. It is important that the financial assistance be well advertised to qualifying women through every available channel, including social assistance agencies, employment organizations and educational institutions.
Some CEA member companies have introduced bursaries as a means of assisting women to complete their trade-based programs. Oakville Hydro provides bursaries to students in the Electrical Apprenticeship Program at Sheridan College. One of those awards is reserved for a woman enrolled in that program. Establishing such relationships with students at an early stage of training can help create a pool of qualified women upon graduation. Hydro Ottawa provides an annual $2,500 award to a first year female student in the Powerline Technician Diploma Program at Algonquin College who has demonstrated high academic achievement and commitment to her community through volunteer activities.
Women often experience a lack of mentors and informal networks in the workplace and that can create early barriers that continue to affect women throughout their careers within the trades. Without strong interpersonal relationships to draw on, women lack support and the “social capital” needed to navigate through the challenges that every employee will face over the course of their employment. Simply having “no one to talk to” is a real obstacle to career success.
A mentoring program uses one-to-one relationships within the work-setting to connect people, increase knowledge and build skills for achieving future career goals and milestones. Through conversations and meetings, experienced mentors can help employees who are seeking to increase their effectiveness on the job and grow their careers. An effective mentor can share their lessons learned, “trade secrets”, provide encouragement and feedback, and guide the mentee toward helpful resources and networks. See Figure 5 for a summary of the benefits of mentoring courtesy of SaskPower.
Figure 5: The Benefits of Mentoring (courtesy of SaskPower)
Benefits of BEING a Mentor Benefits of HAVING a Mentor
Personal Development
You will develop your ability to motivate, lead, encourage alongside expanding your professional and cultural perspectives.
Communication Skills
You will enhance your communication skills by using different ways of communicating with each mentee you work with.
Increases Confidence
Having a mentor can help increase your self-confidence as you feel supported in taking professional risks, sharing ideas and making decisions.
Identify Improvements
Your mentor will have fresh ideas and may be able to identify new areas for improvement or change.
Listening Skills
You will be required to actively listen, so you can fully understand their needs, expectations and objectives.
Expand Networks
With each mentee you work with, you will add a new individual to your network, and can open networking doors for them too.
Career Development
Engaging in mentoring outside of your regular work responsibilities will demonstrate a drive to inspire others and a talent for leadership.
Experience Rewards
You will experience professional and personal rewards knowing that you have contributed to another individual’s growth and success.
Reach Targets
Your mentor can help you set clear and achievable targets. Regular interaction can help motivate you to remain on track.
Feedback and Advice
Having a mentor provide constructive feedback and advice can be key to enhancing your performance.
Expand Networks
With each new mentor you work with, you will add a new individual to your network and can open networking doors for them too.
Career Development
With increased confidence, clear targets and performance improvements you will gain necessary tools to progress towards your development goals.
SaskPower is using their mentoring program to help female trade workers have productive conversations about how to develop the specific skills or knowledge that can help with their professional development. Their program is designed to assist the career and skill development of participants through meaningful conversations with experienced women who work in the trades and other areas of the organization. Feedback and advice from women who have faced situations and challenges common to women in trades can increase an employee’s confidence, network and performance on the job.
It is important that a mentorship program fits with the culture of the organization. A company with more formal relationships might do well with a structured program that has an application process, minimum time requirements, and set durations for the mentoring relationship (typically relationships last between six months and two years, depending on the goal of the mentee). A less formal company may benefit from less structure, but it’s important to have some minimum guidelines and check-in points to ensure the program doesn’t wither and eventually expire.
Working in a traditionally male-dominant field has meant that women’s mentorship opportunities can be limited. The lack of a critical mass of women within the trades often means there are few champions and role models to help women build alliances or serve as a “safe space” for advice and support. But there are still opportunities to build helpful relationships without implementing a formal mentoring program.
Alectra Utilities have taken a less formal, but successful approach to assisting women in trade roles. Women in powerline technician roles have been provided with a forum to connect with each other and, on a regular basis, meet with the Senior Vice President, Business Transformation. They discuss challenges, obstacles and solutions to progressing their careers and building supportive relationships.
Other means of supporting women who are beginning a career in the trades include:
• A Buddy System – pair new employees with a worker who has joined the organization within the last year or so and will therefore recall the challenges and work-arounds that will help the new recruit acclimatize.
• Pairing New Employees with Journeys – seek supportive journeypersons who will help and support female employees beginning their careers.
• Champions within the CEA Community – help new female employees by connecting them with other CEA member companies that do have women working in trade roles and facilitate relationships across traditional company lines. Skills Canada and other women’s groups hold networking events that may provide opportunities to connect with others in the trades.
• Sector-based Employment Groups – opportunities for women to connect with each other are also available from a number of groups focussed on assisting women to be successful in various sectors. These include Women in
Renewable Energy, Women of Powerline Technicians, Electricity Human Resources Canada and others.
While women’s retail fashion is big business, where work garments are concerned, most suppliers have made little effort to produce clothing for women. Female clothing is designed for the build of a woman’s body and must fit in a different way than men’s clothes if the clothes are to be comfortable and provide an aesthetic fit. Of course, working in the trades also requires that personal protective equipment (PPE) must be safe and effective.
Simply providing women with men’s garments in smaller sizes is not sufficient. Although workwear has purposes other than just looking good, ill-fitting women’s workwear can look unprofessional and may not offer the protection it is designed to provide. Employees who feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about what they’re wearing may not perform well and are less likely to remain on the job.
In 2018, Hydro Ottawa began working with safety and protective equipment suppliers to ensure that clothing (including flame resistant and arc-rated attire) is available in female sizes and cuts. This has been well-received by their female staff.
Prior to initiating an RFP for personal protective equipment, Alectra Utilities sought feedback from their employees to better understand the requirements of those actually working in the field.
It is taking time for suppliers to meet the needs of female trade employees but continued pressure from organizations to meet their needs will bring about changes. Several CEA member companies have indicated that AGO Industries Inc. has been making some progress towards building a clothing line more suitable to women’s requirements.
Tools
Typically, women are not as strong as their male counterparts in the trades. This can make it difficult for women to perform some of the tasks required of them in their roles. But this need not be a roadblock to success in the field. Often, redesigned tools and equipment can make it much easier for someone with less physical strength to accomplish the job. For example, in some cases, simply lengthening the handle on a tool can provide the leverage required to allow almost anyone to complete a task.
At Hydro Ottawa, a working group is looking at leveraging tools and technology in order to minimize the amount of upper body strength required to perform jobs in their trades and technical areas. Their main objective is to help modernize the work and make it easier for all, while also maintaining safety and performance standards. One of the specific goals of this group includes helping female employees to carry out the same job functions as men by providing gender-appropriate equipment. Hydro Ottawa is now working with their suppliers to take into account differences in female hand size and grip strength when designing tools and equipment.
Role Models
“Seeing is believing” when it comes to understanding that women can be successful in traditionally male-dominated careers. If women don’t see themselves reflected in an industry, it’s hard for them to envision themselves as a part of it. Therefore, it is important to seek opportunities, through various channels open to CEA member companies, to demonstrate that women can have fulfilling roles within the various trade jobs that exist within the electricity sector. Role models currently holding trade-based jobs can have a big impact on those, of any age, considering their career choices.
Of course, this should not amount to putting female employees on display. Women working in the trades can be highly influential provided they are comfortable being seen as role models. Careful dialogue is required to explore the possibilities and ensure that employees are agreeable to being seen in that way.
Fortis Alberta has profiled some of their employees by simply asking, “How do you make a difference at FortisAlberta?” and “How does FortisAlberta make a difference to you/your family/your community?”. Employees’ responses to these questions are then highlighted on the company’s intranet. This simple approach can be adopted very effectively to highlight female employees in trade roles.
On their website, and on YouTube as part of their recruitment program, Manitoba Hydro has profiled two women working for their organization. A female quality control professional engineer and a power electrician speak about their roles within the organization and how they contribute to the company’s success. In words and video, they demonstrate the appeal of their roles, which require an aptitude for problem-solving and tenacity. They also speak to the variety of work and the fun they experience in an organization where they feel supported as women in non-traditional jobs.
Figure 6: Manitoba Hydro Female Tradesperson Profiles
Professional Engineer Jacqueline Leung
Looking for a job that can turn into a lifelong career? Jacqueline Leung talks about the choices that led her to becoming an Engineer with Manitoba Hydro, and discusses the opportunities and challenges that come with the role.
Watch Here >
Women in Trades: Station Operator Leah Dyke
Looking for a job that can turn into a lifelong career? Leah Dyke talks about her role as a Power Electrician and Station Operator with Manitoba Hydro, and discusses how she keeps the Seven Sisters Generating Station running.
Watch Here >
It is also important that women in the trades see other women represented in leadership roles. This reinforces the fact that women can have successful careers within these functions and allows men and women to experience the stylistic differences of female leadership. At Hydro Ottawa, their engineering development program places an emphasis on sourcing and hiring female graduate engineers. Program participants go through a series of functional rotations, which include placing women in roles where they supervise trade and/or technical employees. While there can be a shortage of female electrical engineering graduates, during recruitment Hydro Ottawa will hire female civil engineers and provide them with the training required to perform in utility engineering roles. This increases the pool of qualified female engineers who are then able to provide leadership in trade and technical areas.
Hydro Quebec has also included female trade workers in their video showing some of the employment opportunities that are available at the organization. Showing women working in the trades, sometimes in remote regions of the province, illustrates that there are real career possibilities working in fields that many may not have initially considered.
Figure 7: Hydro Quebec Video Featuring Female Trades Staff
A career at Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec offers great job opportunities in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and in Nord-duQuébec. Several employees from these regions talk about their profession and testify to the advantages of working at Hydro-Québec.
Watch Here >
Sometimes called affinity groups or business networks, employee resource groups (ERGs) aim to foster inclusivity in the workplace by providing a forum for employees who share a common interest to support one another and raise awareness of that group’s issues. They are voluntary groups, led by the employees themselves but often supported by a company executive acting as a sponsor. ERGs can enhance an employee’s experience by helping them to connect, share, contribute, and support one another. For women working in the trades, this can make the work environment friendlier and more welcoming, contributing to the likelihood that they will remain with the organization as happy, productive employees.
Figure 8: Guidance for Successful Employee Resource Groups
1. 01 Develop Mission Statement and Goals The group should create a statement that captures its reason for being and outlining its high-level purpose. On an annual basis, it can be helpful to outline specific goals that will be accomplished. For example, a Women in Trades group may seek to increase employee engagement, make connections in the community or perhaps simply provide information and education about issues to the organization. Whatever goals are chosen, they should be consistent with the company’s business objectives.
2. 02 Establish Governance for the Group It is important to establish group’s structure and operational rules. Important things to consider would include:
• How will meetings function, how often will they be held?
• How will group leaders be selected and how will they interact with senior sponsors?
• What budget will be allocated to fund the group’s activities?
3. Engage an Executive Sponsor
Executive sponsors will provide senior level leadership for the group.
Their responsibilities should include:
• Influencing others in the company to support the group’s goals.
• Acting as a public advocate, if required.
• Mentoring members of the group
• Helping members make the connections between the company’s goals and those of the ERG.
4. Track and Measure Effectiveness
As with any corporate initiative, it is important to track progress against the group’s goals.
That way, if necessary, adjustments can be made to planned activities and, when goals are reached, success can be celebrated.
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Several CEA member companies have launched ERGs within their organizations, embodying many of the best practices. Led by Hydro Ottawa’s Chief Electricity Distribution Officer, the organization has formed a working group to foster a female-friendly work environment. The group engages in challenging conversations about what needs to change in order to attract and retain more women to under-represented roles. This includes examining the current organizational culture, its positive and negative aspects, and asking difficult questions like, “What behaviours are we willing to tolerate?”. Understanding and then challenging accepted company norms is critical in affecting real change.
Hydro One has established an employee resource group called Women in Trades, Technology, and Engineering (WTTE) with the purpose of promoting and advocating for female identifying employees in trades, technology and engineering at Hydro One. WTTE works towards a vision of creating a workplace culture that includes, empowers and inspires more female employees to participate at all levels of the organization with a special focus on the areas of trades, technology and engineering.
Hydro One has described their ERG’s governance in a comprehensive Terms of Reference document and created an informative YouTube video to promote the mission and goals of the group.
An inclusive workplace culture that includes, empowers and inspires women at all levels of the organization in trades, technology and engineering.
Watch Here >
Figure 9: Summary of Hydro One’s Employee Resource Group
Women in Trades, Technology, and Engineering
WTTE is open to any Hydro One employee, female or male, from any level of the organization and any representation (PWU, Society and MCP). This includes anyone who has been employed by Hydro One or has been affiliated (pensioners, students, former employees etc.) with Hydro One.
The WTTE is comprised of a small volunteer committee and membership that is governed by a terms of reference. The committee is sponsored by Senior Management and Human Resources. Our sponsors support the team, assist with gaining resources, and work to clear obstacles from the committee’s path. Our Executive Sponsor works closely with the members of the WTTE Executive Committee to provide guidance, advice and support in helping the network achieve its goals.
SaskPower has sponsored a resource group to increase the representation of women within their organization and help move them towards being an employer of choice for women in the industry. In the past, their Women’s Resource Group has held a virtual conference – open to all employees – and featured one of their female powerline technicians who spoke about her work experience. Their terms of reference sheet provides an excellent template for organizations wishing to adopt this tactic for advancing the profile of women in their organizations.
Figure 10: Mandate for SaskPower’s Employee Resource Group
Statement of Purpose
The committee exists to be the driving force behind the development and implementation of SaskPower’s Diversity Strategy and the Women’s Resource Group initiatives and to contribute to a Culture of Inclusion
Women’s Resource Group Vision
SaskPower is the employer of choice for women
Women’s Resource Group Mission
Our Mission is to encourage the equitable participation of women in under-represented occupations and leadership roles, and to assist all women in achieving their full career potential.
Committee Function
To support the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of SaskPower’s Diversity Committee key strategies;
1. To support the development of a “Culture of Inclusion” which includes many different types of people and treats them all fairly and equitable by:
2. Develop and promote female leadership at SaskPower;
• Foster the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women in the fields of labour, trades, technology, science and engineering;
• Enhance women’s professional growth by providing information on career paths, work-life balance, and role models;
• Improve SaskPower’s ability to attract, develop, and retain diverse women;
• Promote the enrollment of women in trades, technology, engineering, and science studies.
3. To encourage business units, corporate groups, subsidiaries and employees to recognize their ability to “Make a Difference” in the area of women in under-represented occupations;
4. To support the activities of the Diversity Committee and the Diversity Department
5. The long-term goal of the Women’s Resource Group (WRG) is to no longer be needed. This will happen where there is equitable treatment of women in the workforce and SaskPower has become the employer of choice for women.
Whether an organization is just beginning its journey towards gender diversity in the trades or has already made significant progress, it is crucial to recognize that it is a journey that need not be travelled alone. Partnering with other corporations, like other CEA member companies or government agencies, is critical to success. In many cases, there will be organizations that have already faced and overcome similar challenges. Many government, education and community agencies exist to help facilitate progress and spread the message that the trades offer excellent careers for women. While the specific gender equity strategies and tactics must fit a company’s own particular culture, often there is no need to “reinvent the wheel”.
Hydro Ottawa has partnered with the Ottawa Catholic School Board to help kids, and especially girls, see careers in the trades as viable options at an early age. Hydro Ottawa participates in career events held at schools with their female employees attending the events to “walk the talk” and demonstrate that women in the Ottawa area are indeed finding fulfilling careers in trades and technical areas. Selected employees are also videoed while talking about different trades and technical roles at the company. These virtual work experiences are placed on-line for students to access at any time.
Oakville Hydro and Alectra Utilities have worked with Women of Powerline Technicians, and promoted job vacancies on their website to help target women interested in a career in electrical utilities. Women of Powerline Technicians is a national not-for-profit organization committed to increasing women in trade and technical roles in Canada’s electricity sector.
Melissa King
Powerline Technician, Newfoundland Power
Catalyst
Catalyst is a global nonprofit organization focused on advancing women in the workplace. They provide end-to-end solutions to help companies with the strategy and tools they need to make change at their organizations. https://www.catalyst.org/
Electricity Human Resources Canada
Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) is a non-profit organization supporting the human resources needs of the Canadian electricity and renewable energy sector. By providing tools, research, programs and resources, the EHRC helps equip organizations to meet current and future workforce challenges.
In 2017, the EHRC launched the Leadership Accord on Gender Equity as a means for corporations, unions and others to build greater gender diversity within their organizations. The Accord is meant to unite employees to:
• expand the breadth and depth of the skilled workforce;
• ensure that women are informed of the opportunities available in the sector of their choice;
• and, once employed, are fully supported and provided with equal opportunities to grow and develop to their full potential.
Employers who sign this accord can use a comprehensive selfassessment tool to determine their gender equity strengths and weaknesses. Action plans are then constructed to help begin the journey towards greater levels of gender inclusion and diversity. https://electricityhr.ca/workplace-solutions/diversityinclusion/leadership-accord-on-gender-diversity/
Office to Advance Women Apprentices
The office provides ongoing support to tradeswomen seeking work or already employed in the skilled trades. This includes providing career services, employment supports, and networking opportunities for tradeswomen. They welcome partnerships with employers, trades unions, government, and training institutions to assist in accomplishing these goals and have offices in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. https://www.womenapprentices.ca/
Women Building Futures
Based in Alberta, Women Building Futures (WBF) is a nonprofit organization that empowers women to become economically prosperous through industry recognized training in maintenance and construction related trades. https://www.womenbuildingfutures.ca/
The Industry Training Authority
The Industry Training Authority (ITA) leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. ITA works with employers, apprentices, industry, labour, training providers and government to issue credentials, supports apprenticeships, fund programs, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades. https://www.itabc.ca/women-trades/overview
New Boots
This organization furthers the advancement of women in trades in New Brunswick. They have resources to help create diversity policies, improve recruitment processes and promote job postings through their network. https://nb-map.ca/new-boots/about-new-boots/
Women Unlimited
The Women Unlimited Association is a not-for-profit women’s organization in Nova Scotia that promotes the full participation of women in trades and technology. They work with industry, governments, educational institutions and the community to address the systemic barriers that limit the participation of diverse women in these fields. http://www.womenunlimitedns.ca/
