ON COURSE
New programs from Women Building Futures offer a
win-win for heavy construction companies and women
By Candice G. Ball
As the heavy construction industry braces for a
mass exodus of retiring boomers over the next
decade, organizations such as Edmontonbased
Women Building Futures (WBF) have stepped up to not
only recruit women to the industry but also to provide them
with job-ready training and ongoing support.
BuildForce Canada reports that the construction industry
will go through the most dramatic shift in its history over
the next 10 years. With an estimated 250,000 workers retiring,
there will be an opportunity for younger workers to take
the helm.
WBF sees a tremendous opportunity for women and creates
programs that respond directly to industry needs. In
the first quarter of 2016, WBF will launch four new employer
sponsored, custom training programs. These programs are
all eligible for the Canada Job Grant available in all provinces.
This program provides an excellent opportunity for employers
across Canada to partner with organizations, like WBF,
to train workers for their teams and increase the number of
women employed in the industry.
“These are entry-level programs,” explains Jacqueline
Andersen, employer services manager with WBF. “They help
women prepare for and succeed at an entry-level position in
the construction industry.”
WBF leaves nothing to chance during the recruitment process.
They recruit women through face-to-face information
sessions, online webinars and career decision-making workshops.
In 2015, more than 1,750 women, of whom 522 were
Aboriginal, attended the sessions.
A mere interest in heavy construction won’t get a woman
into a WBF program. She needs to demonstrate an aptitude
and a commitment to a career in construction.
“We have a stringent selection process,” explains Andersen.
“From doing a career investigation, which involves applicants’
interviewing tradespeople in the construction industry, to a
basic math and English assessment and fit-to-work testing,
we know the women we choose will be well-suited for a job
in the industry.”
The numbers certainly support the claim. Since 1998, WBF
has been working to help women enter the heavy industrial
workforce, consistently achieving an employment placement
rate of 90 per cent.
Andersen attributes that success rate to the emphasis WBF
places on safety and the WBF’s Workplace Culture Awareness
training course.
“We strive to ingrain a strong work ethic and teach them
the cost of absenteeism,” explains Andersen. “Employers love
that. They say that what matters most is an aptitude and a
good attitude. The rest can be taught on the job.”
Operator Readiness Program
The WBF Operator Readiness Program, which runs from
March 18 to April 14, 2016, helps women prepare for and ultimately
thrive as entry-level operators in the road building and
heavy construction industry.
Sponsors of the program include Borger, Lehigh Hanson
Heidelberg Cement Group, Fath Industries and O’Hanlon
Paving. The program is direct to employment, meaning the
sponsors intend to hire the women who complete the course.
Areas covered during the four-week program include:
• Alberta Air Brake Endorsement
• Safety (CSTS & WHMIS, H2S Alive, First Aid)
• Tools and Engines Workshop
• Job Shadow and Ride-along
• Movement Sequencing
• Ground Disturbance Certification
• Flag Person Training
• Math Review and Financial Literacy
• WBF Workplace Culture Awareness
Sixteen women will be accepted for the WBF Operator
Readiness Program. Upon completion, these women will
be trained and ready to work as entry-level operators of excavators,
dozers, loaders, skid steer, graders and rubber-tire
backhoes.
FEATURE
COURTESY OF WBF
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