There’s no secret to creating a workplace environment where women can flourish, participants at the Road Construction Association of Ontario conference said during a session titled Including Women in the Construction Industry.
Instead, the three female panelists said, employers need to focus on creating a great company culture where everyone can succeed. Provide continuous learning opportunities, enable employees to take risks, help employees feel included through relationship building, foster personal growth, encourage open dialogue, and encourage employees to take risks. We must support our employees to make a difference.
The presenter for the February 6th ORBA event was Melissa Young, CEO and Registrar of Skilled Trades Ontario. Alison Hurley, Director, Design-Build, EllisDon Civil. and Camille Wallace, contract manager at Powell Contracting.
Young has spent 32 years in leadership roles in the private and public sectors, primarily in Atlantic Canada. He is currently in his third year running Skilled Trades of Ontario, the provincial regulatory agency for apprenticeships.
powell contract
Young drafted an apprenticeship bill for the New Brunswick government that is considered one of the best in Canada. She ushered in the harmonization of skilled trades in Atlantic Canada. And she figured out how to train 500 carpenters and scaffolders to carry out large-scale resource projects in coastal areas.
Her mantra is to be kind, safe, and humble.
“I don’t do anything else,” Young said. “I love my job. It’s true. I love helping others.”
Here are some lessons learned over 30 years:
Look for opportunities to move forward. At one point, when the creation of a new health and safety association was on the line, Young found himself counting votes for three days. She wondered what she had gotten herself into.
“As a result, I ended up being the first director. I became its chairperson and a member of the executive director recruitment committee. I never would have had the opportunity to incorporate it into my portfolio and work towards it.”
Take risks. “They’re not really risks, it’s how you actually solve it. If you look at the negative side, it’s only a risk. I always think about the positive side. ‘Well, let’s try it.’ If that doesn’t work, well, I tried. So be honest with yourself and with others. ”
Don’t coat things superficially. “I think that’s why I’m respected in the industry. That’s the reality. I’m who I am. I bring a lot of value. I think other people think that too. And I own it too. If I fail, I own it. I don’t blame the staff.”
Erisdon Civil
Hurley is a strong believer in collaborating with others and accessing and providing mentorship. It’s not necessarily a formal mentorship program, she said, “just finding time to provide guidance, information and training to those around you.”
Hurley advises women to jump at the first invitation to engage with a colleague.
“Everything from helping someone understand the industry to providing invitations to various industry events, conferences, golf, lunches and dinners to engaging people who might not normally attend. Please ask for “.
Although he wasn’t originally a golfer, he did try his hand at a pastime that builds relationships.
“I’m really grateful to the person who created this opportunity in the first place and said, ‘Alison, would you like to play golf with me tomorrow?'” Hurley recalled. “I was scared. I didn’t know anything about golf. I went and it was fun, and now it’s a really big part of my career.”
Wallace also advocates embracing mentorship opportunities, even if they involve tough lessons. One of her mentors told her not to “let her mouth slip” at her staff meeting.
“You don’t have to be warm and fuzzy all the time,” she said. “Sometimes it’s really hard to be a mentor. You have to tell the brutal truth.”
Mr. Wallace suggested that it is a good idea to be a doer before you are a thinker. “Never think that work is beneath you.
“You need that repetition and that exposure to be able to handle pressure when it’s completely your responsibility.”
Wallace further advised, “Don’t be afraid to push your comfort zone and find avenues that speak to you and may come from unexpected realms.”
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