Jills Climb Up the Hill to Fetch Trades Careers
From nuts and bolts ants to sheet metal stars, high school girls from across the Okanagan Valley and Shuswap descended on Kelowna for the 1st annual Jill of all Trades event.
Over two-hundred Grade 10-12 girls, their teachers, industry mentors, trade instructors and VIP’s spent the day at Okanagan College’s trades campus where girls could explore three different trades for the day. 15 girls from all six sd83 high schools participated in the event where they did hands-on projects in the following fields: auto body collision, automotive, carpentry, electrical, welding, sheet metal, aircraft maintenance, heavy duty mechanic, RV maintenance and the piping trades.
The students heard speeches from Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas and a video address from Mandy Rennehan, an HGTV host and trades industry ambassador. Rennehan says young women have much to offer when it comes to the trades. “You have a skill set that nobody has seen,” says Rennehan. “Great men support good women, so, don’t just say you’ll do something, live it!”
One interesting simulation took place in the automotive department. The girls were given a scenario to check the four main fluid levels on a vehicle (oil, transmission, coolant, power steering) and air pressure in tires before they would take it off for a trip to the lower mainland. However, halfway through their trip, one of their rear tires is punctured and it needs to be replaced. So, each girl had to change the tire and then watch for leaks.
Okanagan College Salmon Arm Trades Administrator Brent Moffat says he would like to eventually see 30% or more of his students be female. Current, 20% of the College’s Foundational Trades students identify as female. Of the current construction trades, students at the event learned the highest paying disciplines are usually in gasfitting, plumbing and refrigeration & air conditioning.
If you wish to learn more about a trades path for you or your son or daughter, please get hold of SD83 Trades and Transitions Coordinator Michelle Hall at mihall@sd83.bc.ca.