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  • Women in the Trades, Statistics and Perceptions

    Women in the Trades, Statistics and Perceptions

    When you picture a construction worker, plumber, electrician or pipefitter, what image comes to mind? Most people imagine a burly, middle-aged man, wearing overalls, covered in dirt or grease. Trades jobs have been predominantly dominated by men throughout history. Across Canada women are still under-represented in the industry.

    The Status of Women in Canada factsheet (http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/initiatives/wesp-sepf/fs-fi/es-se-eng.html) stated, “In 2014 women represented 47.3 % of the labour force. Women aged 15 years and over were most likely to be employed in sales and service occupations (27.1%).” It also states, “Women continue to have low representation in the skilled trades and other traditionally male dominated professions. For example in 2012, women held just 11.8% of the construction jobs, 19% of forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas jobs, and 30.5% of agriculture jobs. In 2011 women accounted for only 2% of carpentry apprentices, 1.9% of plumbing apprentices and 1.5% of heavy equipment apprentices.”

    So why are there so few women working in the trades? An article on the website TalentEgg.com (http://talentegg.ca/incubator/2012/03/12/women-working-skilled-trades/) suggests “even in this day and age, women can be discriminated against in the skilled trades workforce. Women are usually in the top 10-15% in their class, but they are almost always among the last 10% to get hired.”

    The Government of Canada Skilled Trades website points out another reason there are fewer people in general working in the industry. It says there is a “negative perception towards skilled trades among youth and their influences, with many believing that these jobs are low paying, involve physical work, are dirty, and are less academically challenging.”

    Though this may be a common perception, it isn’t entirely true. The work may be more physical than an office job, but it can also be rewarding. Imagine being able to drive by a building, knowing you helped construct it. Stats Canada stated on average trades employees make $22.36/hour. Canadianbusiness.com stated in 2014, Electrician and Telecommunications Contractor held the number 10 spot on the Top 10 Best Jobs in Canada, with a median salary of $72,800/ year.

    Many skilled trades’ workers are hard-working individuals. Although a lot of people feel the trades are for students who are less academically inclined; this is also another myth. Trades workers need to have a good academic foundation with knowledge in math, literacy, problem solving and analytical skills. Depending on the type of trade you pursue you could be deciphering complex blueprints on a construction site, operating technical equipment, or installing intricate plumbing systems at an industrial site. There are a number of apprenticeship programs geared toward women. You can search online to see what’s available in your area. In Ontario there is a website with information on Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology: http://www.grants.gov.on.ca/GrantsPortal/en/OntarioGrants/GrantOpportunities/OSAPQA005168.

    Careersintrades.ca (http://www.careersintrades.ca/) has information on how to get started.

    If you think you might be interested in pursuing a career in a skilled trade, it’s always a good idea to talk to someone who currently works in the field. They will be able to explain the ins and outs of the job, tell you what is involved, and what it is really like to work on a job site. They can also give you an idea of job availability and pay. You could also do a work study or internship, which will provide you with the hands on training and experience. This will be a great way to see if you like the job and the work environment, and to decide if the trades are the right field for you.

     

  • Career Profile: Statistician

    Career Profile: Statistician

    For some people, looking at a page of numbers and graphs causes their eyes to glaze over and a yawn to start. For others, however, the idea of working with numbers and how they relate to everyday life is exciting. Are you in the second group of people? If so, becoming a statistician might be the right career for you.

    Working in statistics is all about numbers. Have your parents ever talked about answering surveys or have you ever answered questions about something that you like to do or eat? Many businesses take surveys to find out about the kinds of things their customers might want. Then a statistician takes the information and turns it into something that the business can use for planning. The same thing happens with the government and other organizations. They find out how many people are in certain age groups or in particular jobs. That way, they know if universities need more funding or what kinds of jobs to encourage people to pursue.

    Gathering information is only part of the work of a statistician. A list of numbers means very little unless someone can interpret what that means. Statisticians take the numbers that come from surveys and other sources of information and turn that into something that governments or organizations can use. Most statisticians have at least a Master’s degree in mathematics. With this education, they can take a list of numbers and turn it into something that shows trends and changes. If the numbers of university students has increased by fifteen percent while the general population has increased by five percent, for example, they can show that. Being a statistician involves knowing about the relationships between numbers and being able to see patterns that many other people might ignore.

    Statisticians are not normally involved in making decisions about programs and funding for projects. However, their work is very important for the people who choose where to spend money. Statisticians work in all kinds of organizations, including government departments, businesses, and even community organizations. Although a Master’s degree in statistics or mathematics is the basic requirement for most people in this field, continuing on to a higher level of education might open up opportunities for teaching in a university.

    Besides academic qualifications, statisticians need to have the personal qualities for the work. They often work alone and need to be able to concentrate, but they also need to be able to work with people. They need to be able to communicate with people to get the kinds of information they need for their work.

    For people with the right skills, working in statistics can be a rewarding career. When they are good at their jobs and experienced in the field, statisticians can earn a good living, with salaries generally between $43,000 and $80,000 per year. Jobs are not always easy to find, but people who are flexible can also find work in related fields, such as accounting. Do you love numbers? Consider becoming a statistician.

  • Career Profile: Economist

    Career Profile: Economist

    You might sometimes wonder why you have to study mathematics at school. What’s the use of all of those percentages and averages that you have to calculate? These concepts might not be useful in many jobs, but they are essential for economists. Every day, economists use complex mathematical skills to help governments and businesses plan for the future.

    In 2011, Canada had about 15,000 economists working in a variety of places, including government offices, businesses, and other organizations. In some ways, economists do the same kinds of work as accountants often do. They work with budgets, prices, and how to make money. However, economists tend to work on bigger issues than these.

    For economists, the issue that people face is not just how much money to charge for a product or service but also how that fee might affect other aspects of the economy. For example, an economist might analyze how an increase in fuel prices can affect the cost of transporting food from farms to the cities and how that might affect food bank usage and other parts of society.

    Economists work with the trends that influence how people spend money and what affects factors such as prices and resource use. They use statistics to analyze trends in society and to predict what might happen in the future. They also have to know how laws might change various aspects of the economy. Economists might study public transit usage before and after a price increase or analyze how salaries in certain jobs affect house purchases. Economists need to understand numbers, but they also have to be able to see the larger trends.

    Becoming an economist involves knowing a lot about mathematics but also about how people and the economy work together. Most economists have at least a bachelor’s degree in their field, but most have a master’s or Ph.D. Even after they graduate, economists have to keep on learning. They read magazines and other publications related to their work and they find out what other economist think. Reading statistics on how Canadians live is an important part of their work, since that gives them the information they need to make accurate predictions about the future. This can sometimes be a challenge, especially when the information is difficult to find or is unavailable.

    Many economists work for the government, but they also work for large businesses to help the owners plan for the future. The average salary for an economist in Canada is $80,000 to $100,000, but most jobs start at a lower level and some can rise to a higher level. Experience is very important in this field, since it can be very important to learn about how different factors work together. Job prospects in this profession are limited, but there will likely be some openings in the next few years.

    If you love numbers but you also enjoy seeing how everything works together, you might want to consider becoming an economist. Your work might affect Canadians for years to come.