“I think it’s important for females to get into trades because it’s not just a male dominated field anymore,” said Ashton Brown, a Superior Heights Grade 12 pupil currently learning the ropes of the plumbing profession in a hands-on way as a co-op student with Huckson’s Water Depot.
“I think it’s fantastic to see that more women want to work with their hands. They all don’t want to sit in an office all day, or be a nurse, because everybody’s personality is different. I know my sister wants to be a mechanic and I’m pushing her to do that,” Brown said, speaking to SooToday, Monday.
Tuesday, March 8, marks International Women's Day.
The 2022 campaign theme is ‘Break The Bias’ and ‘Breaking Barriers.’
The Algoma District School Board (ADSB) is marking Women In Construction Week (WICW) that began March 6 and continues to March 13, 2022.
“I’ve learned about hot water tanks, taking old ones out and putting new ones in. I learned about soldering too because there was copper involved. I’ve learned all about water filtration systems and how each filter works,” Brown said.
“I’ve learned a lot and I’ve really enjoyed it,” she said with an enthusiastic smile.
Brown said - without hesitation - that she wants to live and work as a plumber in the Sault after completing her co-op placement, high school education and apprenticeship.
“A lot of my family members have done work in the trades. There are electricians in the family. I’ve learned through watching family members. I’ve helped my dad with renovations. When I was in Grade 10 construction I learned I loved to work with my hands,” Brown said.
“Honestly, there’s nothing really bad about it (plumbing), if you like getting dirty because you should be ready for that to happen.”
The current school year marks Brown’s second high school co-op in the trades, gaining experience in HVAC work with the Sault’s Wardlaw Heating & Cooling Inc. as she worked on fireplaces and furnaces in the 2020-2021 school year.
“I would like to see at least one female in the (plumbing) trade (through training provided by Sault plumbers),” said Brenda Swystun, Huckson's Water Depot owner and operator.
“I’ve found if you can have a mix of females and males it can really change the dynamics of a company. The performance actually tends to go up."
The strengths that females bring to the trades are obvious, cherished and much needed, Swystun said.
“Females have a different way of looking at things. In a lot of cases, when it comes to troubleshooting, the female perspective is not in the same box as the male perspective. Between those two perspectives we have a solution.”
“Ashton is a girl after my own heart,” Swystun said.
There are currently 14 female students enjoying skilled trades training as co-op students at the ADSB high school level, said the board’s Steve Burmaster, Co-op/Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program Pathways Coordinator.
“This is an excellent pathway for young ladies to make an amazing income. It’s really awesome to see young ladies take advantage of this.”
“They keep the world moving,” said Swystun from Huckson’s Water Depot, clearly excited about having young women get involved in skilled trades.