KBR Wabi Construction Basics
KBR Wabi Construction Basics, which runs from April 4–29, 2016,
prepares women for an entry-level career in construction.
With an emphasis on safety, women earn eight worksite safety
certificates over the course of the four-week program, including:
• Standard First Aid and CPR Level One
• Fall Protection
• Scaffold Awareness
• CSTS and WHMIS
• RSTS
• Elevated Work Platform
• Flagperson Training
• Safe Trenching, Excavation and Ground Disturbance
Twelve women will be accepted into the program, which is sponsored
by KBR Wabi. As with the all of WBF programs, they will receive
training in WBF workplace culture and financial literacy.
The average income of women coming into WBF programs is
around $28,000. Most graduates of the programs will receive an income
increase of 128 per cent – and WBF helps to prepare them to
effectively manage their finances.
This program will also teach the women drawing and blue print
reading in addition to basic tools and equipment training. Students
will come out of this program ready to take on almost any entry-level
position in construction.
Transforming the face of Canada’s
construction industry
Women come from all over Canada to receive training at WBF.
As the first trades facility exclusively for women, WBF is a finely
tuned training powerhouse. What makes it particularly attractive
is that the organization provides 42 units of fully-furnished affordable
housing for their students and women can bring their children
while they’re enrolled.
Although some who go through the programs stay to work in
Alberta, many return to Saskatchewan or their homes in other provinces.
Many of the sponsors have a national presence, allowing the
women the opportunity to relocate.
Saskatchewan, in particular, has taken note of WBF’s effort to
encourage the participation of Aboriginal women in the heavy
construction industry. In 2010, WBF developed an Aboriginal
Engagement Strategy to increase the participation of Aboriginal
women in WBF programs. By 2012, the number of Aboriginal students
had grown from 19 to 27 per cent. The new target is to increase
the number of Aboriginal students to 40 per cent.
For more information on WBF and any of their course
offerings, please visit www.womenbuildingfutures.com.
FEATURE
“We strive to ingrain a strong work ethic and teach them the cost of
absenteeism. Employers love that. They say that what matters most is
an aptitude and a good attitude. The rest can be taught on the job.”
– Jacqueline Andersen, Employer Services Manager, WBF
COURTESY OF WBF
44 Think BIG | Quarter 1 2016 | saskheavy.ca
/www.womenbuildingfutures.com
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