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EDUCATION, SOCIALIZATION AND CAREER EXPLORATION: By Ashley Turner
The following article appeared in the Fall 2009 To view the article as it appeared please click below:
For 32-year-old Charlene Barnes this year promises to be unlike any other. She’s trading in her apr on for a tool belt and preparing to take the road less traveled. Charlene is pursuing college training in skilled trades, rather than attending university or enrolling in a more traditional college program, as may be expected of a young single mother looking to enter the workforce. Having been born and raised in a strict Christian home in the small rural fishing village of Cox’s Cove, NL, Charlene says she felt her future path was laid out for her from childhood. “Where I come from, the women have babies and stay at home with them, while the men work.” Even though Charlene had initially conformed to these expectations, becoming pregnant and marrying at a young age, she is now ready to break the mold and explore the exciting opportunities that await her in the trades and technology sector – something that most young girls and women in her demographic are not typically encouraged to do. Education and Socialization “There wasn’t much encouragement in grade school for trades, more so for university,” explains 19-year-old Julie Flowers of Rigolet, Labrador, who recently completed the Heavy Equipment Operator program at College of the North Atlantic. Julie’s experience is similar to that of many girls and women. Based on their interests and abilities, whereas boys and men are often encouraged to consider either university or a skilled trades program, the option of pursuing training in skilled trades is less often a consideration for girls and women. As a result, women have made great gains in acquiring a university education, but are still underrepresented in skilled trades and technology college programs. The education and career paths that men and women are guided towards are intertwined in the wider process of socialization. This means that from childhood, we are presented with messages regarding the roles we are expected to fill as men and women in our society – such as those Charlene and Julie received from a young age. We receive these messages every day from various sources, including the media, our families, peers, books, and at school. Traditionally, young boys are given toy tool sets and are expected to excel in industrial arts class, while young girls are given toy kitchen sets and are expected to excel in home economics in grade school. It is through such simple and innocent actions that society’s notions of appropriate activities and occupations for men and women have become ingrained in the education system. So, the idea that men, rather than women, normally use tools and equipment to build and repair objects has translated into a view of skilled trades as men’s work – leading to a lack of consideration of skilled trades and technology as a possible career path for women. Career Exploration Orientation to Trades and Technology (OTT) After hearing about the OTT program from a neighbour, Charlene Barnes became extremely excited about the opportunity to gain handson experience in various trades and technology occupations, including welding, electrical, carpentry, and heavy equipment operating. “It’s a great opportunity to go in and see each field. I’m very handy, especially with electrical… and I like welding!” says Charlene. Since Charlene will be able to branch into the college program of her choice after completing the OTT program, she believes she will likely pursue training and a possible career in either electrical or welding. In doing so, she will join Julie Flowers and many others who have completed this career exploration program and have subsequently gone on to pave their own education and career paths. Receiving messages throughout grade school that occupations in the trades and technology sector were “only for men,” Julie’s OTT classmates 31-year-old Doris Boase of Hopedale, Labrador, and 20-year-old Gabriel Flowers of Rigolet, Labrador, never dreamed they would one day become heavy equipment operators – expecting instead that they would follow the more traditional path of becoming a teacher or a clerical worker. Similarly, prior to enrolling in the OTT program, close friends 41- year-old Karen Macfie of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and 37-year-old Lisa Laurie of Paradise, Newfoundland, did not expect they would one day be working as millwrights with the Canadian Coast Guard. “OTT was a huge confidence builder. It gave me a chance to see that I could do any of the trades that I might choose,” explains Karen. Echoing this enthusiasm, Lisa exclaims, “I love my job and I am very proud to tell people that I am a millwright. I wish I could have done the OTT program 20 years ago!” This is the type of empowerment and confidence-building that WRDC aims to achieve through offering the OTT program to women who are interested in diverting from the traditional paths that have been laid out for them, and exploring the nontraditional opportunities that are available within the trades and technology sector. As CNA Business Development Officer Cecilia Wade declares, “I think that it has taken a while to get the voice and importance of career exploration programs like OTT out there, but now that it’s out there, it’s clear that women’s career paths do not have to be just traditional.” Ashley Turner is an Industry and Community Liaison with Women in Resource Development Corporation and is currently completing a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Sociology at Memorial University. She is focusing on the under-representation of women in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil and gas industry. She can be reached via telephone at 738-8998 or by e-mail at aturner@wrdc.nf.ca.
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