b'TOP TAKEAWAYSFROM TRADESWOMEN BUILDING BRIDGESWhen we last spoke with Leah Peters,was furthest behind them all when she was headed to London, England toit comes to women in construction. crush barriers facing women working inCanada has 1.2 million construction the trades. The MWC trades outreachworkers, but women currently director is back with experiences, newonly represent four per cent of the connections and a belt full of toolsconstruction trades. The Office to ignite recruitment and retentionto Advance Women Apprentices of women in the skilled construction(established in Newfoundland and trades. Here are some of Peters topLabrador to increase employment takeaways from her time across opportunities for women in the skilled the pond. trades) recruited more than 80 new ON RECRUITMENT female trades workers in the last year. When recruiting women in construction,In Sweden, they dont have maternity focus on women going into their secondleave, they have parental leave. Men career. While it is important to introduceare required to take a portion of the construction to young girls, other groupsallotted time off, making it an everyone are looking towards women wantingissue and not just one for women. a different career. After having thisIn Boston, the contractors, unions, pointed out, I realized that most of thegovernments and daycares all came women in construction I know are intogether to collaborate on childcare their second or third career. As youngerconcerns with the trades. Daycares girls see more women, they will believenow open earlier, and the government they can do it too.provides grants to help tradeON APPRENTICESHIP workers financially. Apprenticeship programs are veryON EMPOWERMENTdifferent in the UK. One thing thatHearing some of the speeches from stood out to me is that apprenticesdifferent delegates over this trip was go to school once a week and workempowering. Trades has changed the the rest of the week. I really like thislives of so many peoplesome were method as it allows continual learningin jail or in abusive relationships, and and support as you work your waybecoming a tradeswoman helped through your levels.them get out of those situations, ON CULTURAL COMPARISONS create a successful career and support With approximately 40 delegatesthemselves and their families. from North America, Sweden andThere was a quote from the delegation: Switzerland, I concluded that ManitobaIf you can see it, you can be it! We all said we were taking this saying home as we can all relate so strongly to it. Most of us didnt have the opportunity to see it before we did it and want to change that for others. Seeing trulyis believing.There are already many structured solutions to some of the issues women in construction experiencethey just Structural need to be shared, and not in just small Mechanical pockets in the world. Without people Electrical actively pushing and supporting a cause, it cannot grow. What can you do to help diversify construction? In the towereng.ca 204-925-1150 403-235-2655 end, it will be a benefit to all.24 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca'