Evidence of meeting #6 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was industry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
I'm sorry, but I didn't understand the question.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
My question is, with the real estate market and construction work booming, would that have any effect on more women being willing to go into the building trades area?
4:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
Oh, certainly. Job numbers in construction are increasing. The past few years have been very difficult for us, as they've been very difficult for everyone, but the tide seems to be turning here. Increasingly, more jobs are available. Yes, it's a very good time for women to be getting into trades, and into construction in particular.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
I understand that you've been going to schools, but have you been working with the colleges and the polytechs, such as, for example, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and BCIT? They do offer a lot of training in those areas. Has your organization been able to work with them as well?
4:30 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
Yes. We had a building bridges event in conjunction with BCIT in the fall. We had our members, as well as representatives from our corporate membership, go to BCIT and talk to women who were in the apprenticeship training programs and the construction technology programs. They just talked about what's it like being in construction, about how one would try to get that first job, and about some of the things that we've encountered during our years on site.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
What do you think of a kind of encouragement such as builder of the year, which would be really highlighting the role model? We have women entrepreneur of the year and things like that. Do you think this highlighting of the successful leaders in those trades would help?
This question applies to all three of you.
4:35 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
The Vancouver Regional Construction Association currently has an outstanding woman in construction award that's awarded annually in conjunction with Canadian Construction Women. I'm not entirely sure about how long that's been going on, but it's at least 15 years.
4:35 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
Yes. It would be nice if it weren't necessary, but you're right, having a woman's accomplishments highlighted.... As for some of the feedback I've gotten from some of the guys after the award ceremony, it was, “Whoa, she's pretty good!”
It just goes to reinforce the fact that there are very incredible women out there doing incredible jobs. It breaks down some of the misconceptions that men might have about the limitations of a woman working on a job site.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
I also would like to applaud WRDC for having a short orientation program for women who would like to go into trades.
Do you think the colleges and technical institutes might be able to do that? Then they would have a wider range, while maybe cooperating with the two different organizations here.
4:35 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
BCIT has an introduction to trades program. I think they have one geared towards everybody, and then one specifically geared towards women, where every week you explore a different trade, such as electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, and welding. You get a taste of everything before committing to one apprenticeship program--if you decide you want to pursue an apprenticeship program. Programs like that do exist.
4:35 p.m.
Industry and Community Liaison, Women in Resource Development Corporation
In Women in Resource Development, we also offer a similar program in partnership with our local college, the College of the North Atlantic. Again, it is entitled “Orientation to Trades and Technology”. Similarly, women do receive hands-on training in a variety of different trades and technology programs, which allows them to explore their interests prior to selecting one training program in particular to move forward with.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you very much.
I'm going to move now to Madame Demers for five minutes.
March 24th, 2010 / 4:35 p.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. McDiarmid, Ms. Turner and Ms. Clarke, thank you for being here with us. I think that your work is very important and I am pleased to find out that a number of women can benefit from it.
Last year, in the fall, when we started this study, the Building and Construction Trades Department paid us a visit. Their representative told us that there was a major congress in the spring and one of the main topics was going to be the place of women in construction trades.
Ms. McDiarmid, I was wondering whether your organization was in contact with that association and whether you were going to attend that congress. I feel it is always beneficial to work with men to work out problems. The people from that association seem to be really interested in improving the working and living conditions on construction sites so that women can fit in better.
4:35 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
Was this the symposium on women in construction that was hosted by the Canadian construction sector?
4:35 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
I was there, and it was an excellent venue to make contact with other groups of women from across the nation who have similar goals to ours and are trying to increase the profile of women in construction.
4:35 p.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
I was talking about construction trades but from the men's point of view, specifically the Association des métiers de la construction du Canada, and not just women, but men as well.
4:35 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
I agree with you it's very important to have inclusive associations. We've certainly had men attend some of the Canadian construction women's events, and I have attended events from the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, which comprises mostly men. You're absolutely right about the personal contacts you make when you're introduced to people from other companies. It makes your professional life that much easier when you have to deal with each other on a professional level.
4:40 p.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Ms. Clarke, Ms. Turner and Ms. McDiarmid.
Ms. McDiarmid, you talked earlier about harassment and the fact that it might cause problems for women, which would discourage them from continuing to work in those trades. In your organizations, do you provide micro-credit to women so that they can start their own businesses?
I say that because, in Laval, we started giving micro-credit. Women learned trades in plumbing, electricity, masonry, and construction. They were not comfortable with working on site and they started small businesses. Now, they are putting together a directory of construction companies run by women.
As it happens, women who live alone, like me, are very happy to have access to those women because they feel a lot more comfortable telling them what they want in the house when they come to do repairs. With them, we do not feel inferior. We feel that we can speak openly and we will not be looked down on by the person who comes to do the repairs.
Is that something you have thought about?
4:40 p.m.
President, Canadian Construction Women
We're a not-for-profit association, and we really don't have the resources to implement a program like that, given our current status. But it is an excellent idea.
There are associations affiliated with us that are training women from the downtown east side, who are at risk or recovering from substance abuse issues, to enter the trades force. They are getting training on how to use power tools and getting comfortable working and showing up to the same place at the same time to do a standard shift of work. So we are affiliated with organizations that are getting into that sort of thing.
4:40 p.m.
Community Outreach Coordinator, Educational Resource Centre, Women in Resource Development Corporation
In St. John's we have a few women who have started up their own businesses. We have one that's doing small construction projects, and another is doing roofing. There is talk of others who are trying to start some type of cooperative so they can pool their talents and start something of that scale.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you very much, Madame Demers.
Ms. Mathyssen is next for five minutes.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I'd like to pursue this line of questioning by Madame Demers and ask if access to capital to start these businesses is a problem for women.