Women in Nuclear - WiN Canada

WiN-Bruce sponsored a Skills Canada Networking Dinner on November 13, 2007. Attached is the Event Summary Report for the event.

Port Elgin “Skills Work!® for Women” Networking Dinner

Lakeshore Recreation Centre, Port Elgin, Ontario

Tuesday November 13th, 2007

EVENT SUMMARY REPORT

Completed by Brieanna Chiusdea, Skills Canada-Ontario Liaison Officer

Skills Canada – Ontario is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the development of youth and the prosperity of industry in Ontario. We strive to promote the skilled trades and technologies as a viable, first choice career option for young people.

For seven consecutive years, Skills Canada – Ontario has been offering the “Skills Work!® forWomen” Networking Dinners, an award-winning program which is designed to introduce young women in high school, who are interested in the skilled trades and technologies, to female

mentors who are currently working, studying or teaching in a related career field.

Overview of Event

 “Skills Work!® for Women” Networking Dinner was held on Tuesday, November 13th at the Lakeshore Recreation Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario. This was the first year this dinner ran in Port Elgin, and it was a very successful night that had immense support from the community and local organizations. All in all there were 129 registered participants - 77 students, 23 mentors, 12 teachers and 17 guests (including staff). A 10 minute version of the “What’s Out There” Opportunities in the Skilled Trades andTechnologies presentation was presented to the students and guests while mentors were being debriefed in a separate reception area. The opening remarks were made by Master of

Ceremonies, Devon Turcotte, Provincial Liaison Officer for Skills Canada Ontario, who provided a brief intro about Skills Canada – Ontario and the purpose of the evening. Afterwards, Mr. Dave Trumble, President of the Grey-Bruce Labour Council delivered greetings and got everyone excited about the rest of the evening. Four women were part of an informative speakers panel during dinner including; Tonya Miller, Hairstylist and Owner of Hair, Body & Soul Salon in Owen Sound; Toni Jones, a woman welder with Hobarts; Emma Hogbin, Internet Consultant and Web Page Designer, who also owns her own company, HickTech; and Michelle Brough, a 3rd term Electrical Apprentice for Bruce Power. All four were very inspiring and really encouraged the girls to find something they love and go with it. In addition to the spotlighted women, 19 other mentors attended this event with a variety of skilled trade and technology backgrounds, including a machinist apprentice, an ironworker who showed up in full construction gear, 2 hairstylists, 6 electricians or electrical apprentices, and a graphic designer. Each mentor had the opportunity to introduce themselves and interact with the girls during the “five sector networking rotation session” and each sector rotation allowed students to find out about the exciting career journeys that these women pursued. Cheryl Cottrill, Executive Director for WiN-Canada concluded the evening with encouraging closing remarks.

Seventy-seven young women attended the event from schools around the region. The schools and their numbers are as follows: Bluewater District School Board: 72; Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board: 5. Students sat at round tables of 8 in the company of at least one mentor and one teacher or guest.

The event ran very smoothly and the energy in the room was exciting and inspiring. The participants were relaxed and comfortable and the conversation at the tables was non-stop. Many participants, including several mentors, commented on the friendly vibe in the room and that they felt it was inspiring to have so many women in the skilled trades under the same roof. One mentor Electrician mentioned that in her 20 years in the trade, she had never met another woman electrician and she was so inspired by being in the room with 5 others.

Conclusions & Recommendations

I will recommend to Gail Smyth, Executive Director of Skills Canada – Ontario that Port Elgin is a very supportive, receptive community to hold this type of event, and the community is keen on doing so again in the years to come. Businesses, school boards, secondary schools and the community in general were excited to be a part of this event for young women. In fact, almost every mentor indicated that she would be interested in attending the event again in future years and would like to be contacted again. A recommendation for future events would be donate more time towards the Networking Rotation Activity, as many of the students and mentors alike mentioned that they would have liked more time to interact and answer the student’s questions.

The event was a great success overall, and this is evident from the student, mentor and guest evaluations collected at the end of the evening and summarized below.

Summary of Evaluations

MENTOR EVALUATIONS (17 Collected)

Would you participate in this event again?

YES = 94%

NO = 6%

Would you have found this event useful when you were in high school?

YES = 88%

NO = 22%

As a woman in the skilled trades, do you feel that there is a support network available to you?

YES = 76%

NO = 24%

Can we contact you again next year to be a mentor OR to inquire about participation at other

events?

YES = 94%

NO = 6%

Rankings: 1 is poor and 5 is outstanding

Spotlight Speakers:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 18%

4 = 35%

5 = 47%

Venue:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 6%

4 = 35%

5 = 59%

Overall:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 11%

4 = 24%

5 = 65%

Mentor Comments:

• It was very informative! Love to promote my industry!

• A wonderful event! The students were very interested and I think it was a huge success!

• It was great to inform women students about the trades

• Excellent opportunity to share my knowledge and network with other women

• I would definitely recommend this event

• I felt I helped some of the young women understand the trades more

• It was a pleasure to motivate women to consider skilled trades

• Great response from students!

• Very good! I just wish we had more time as mentors to meet and talk to each other, we are to few and far apart

• I'm very interesting in doing this again closer to home

STUDENT EVALUATIONS (69 Collected)

Prior to this event, had you ever considered a career in skilled trades or technologies?

YES = 83%

NO = 17%

After attending this event, are you more likely to investigate a career in skilled trades and

technologies?

YES = 97%

NO = 3%

Were you able to gain valuable information from a mentor that will help you in your career

choices?

YES = 96%

NO = 4%

Would you recommend this event to a friend?

YES = 100%

NO = 0%

Rankings: 1 is poor and 5 is outstanding

Panel Speakers:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 13%

4 = 22%

5 = 65%

Networking Rotation Activity:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 18%

4 = 45%

5 = 63%

Location:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 13%

4 = 47%

5 = 40%

Overall:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 5%

4 = 33%

5 = 72%

Student Comments:

• Great opportunity! In years to come I would like to come and be a mentor!

• I think this was an amazing opportunity for women!

• Very, very informative

• It helped me figure out if I really wanted to be a baker

  I would recommend this night to a friend because I believe it would change their mind about career opportunities.

• A great opportunity to see what is out there!

• Loved it! The mentors rocked!!

• It was very helpful and enlightens how interesting a job could be

• Its such a valuable experience to talk to women who are in the trades

• The night has helped me very much, it really helped to narrow down and open more doors. It made me really think.

• This evening was a fun and enjoyable way to meet new people and learn new things

• Keep doing this every year!

• The workshops were 100% amazing!

• Thanks for the opportunity, PLEASE do it again!

• Continue with the program because it was a really great activity to learn lots about what is out there for us.

• It is inspiring to see/hear about the women in the trades

• I really enjoyed talking to women that enjoy what they do and want to share it with others!

• Great evening! Great dinner! Offers valuable advice!

GUEST EVALUATIONS (16 Collected)

Would you participate in this event again?

YES = 100%

NO = 0%

Would you have found this event useful when you were in high school?

YES = 94%

NO = 6%

Can we contact you again next year to be a mentor OR to inquire about participation at other

events?

YES = 100%

NO = %

Rankings: 1 is poor and 5 is outstanding

Spotlight Speakers:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 0%

4 = 6%

5 = 94%

Venue:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = %

4 = 12%

5 = 88%

Overall:

1 = 0%

2 = 0%

3 = 0%

4 = 12%

5 = 88%

Guest Comments:

• Really, really well organized with lots of awesome female role models

• Very informative, I would like to bring more students next year

• Fabulous evening – speakers were encouraging, practical and motivating. Girls at the

end of the night were inspired to investigate a trade.

• Communication and promoting awareness is definitely the key!

• A well organized night. We leave with a list of interesting jobs that all of these ladies do to

investigate further.

• I really enjoyed the mentor sharing groups!

“Skills Work!® for Women” Networking Dinner

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Lakeshore Recreation Centre, Port Elgin

MENTOR LIST

TABLE

# MENTOR NAME SECTOR OCCUPATION EMPLOYER

1 Deb MacLay Construction Machinist Apprentice Bruce Power

1 Kellie Maclean Service Chef Instructor Georgian College

2 Lee-Ann Lambert Construction Shift Control Technician Bruce Power

2 Wendy Huys Manufacturing Nuclear Operator - CSNC

Certification

Bruce Power

3 Gail Thompson Technologies Systems Engineer Bluewater District School

Board

3 Tammy Hunt Transportation Parts Advisor Hanover Chrysler Dodge

Jeep

8 Deborah Joseph Technologies IT Systems Engineer Bluewater District School

Board

9 Tonya Miller* Service Hairstylist/Salon Owner Hair Body & Soul

10 Brenna McQuoid Construction Electrical Technician Bruce Power

11 Sarah Klages Manufacturing Mechanical Engineering

Technician

Durham College

11 Vicki-Lynne Hicks Construction Construction

Maintenance Electrician

Cook Electrical

12 Jo Ann Switzer Service Hairstylist/Salon Owner My Scissors & I

12 Michelle Brough* Construction 3rd Term Electrical

Apprentice

Bruce Power

13 Toni Jones* Manufacturing Welder Hobarts

13 Gloria Morris Service EA Training &

Development Supervisor

Bluewater District School

Board

14 Emma Hogbin* Technologies Internet Consultant &

Web Developer

Hick Tech

14 Annette Nisbett Manufacturing Ironworker Bruce Power

15 Alycia Douglas Construction 2nd Term Electrical

Apprentice

Bruce Power

15 Jane Barber Service Graphic Designer/Owner The Wired Mouse

4 Denise Farell Transportation Automotive Service

Technician

Canadian Tire Corportation

4 Christine Barlow Trans/Const Electrician General Motors

5 Margaret Manwaring Trans/Const Electrician Ford Motor Company

6 Terry Weymouth Trans/Const Electrician Canadian Auto Workers

Association

7 Bernice Renaud Trans/Const Electrician Chrylser

*indicates Spotlight Speaker