Women are often underrepresented in trades careers, but change is on its way, says the University of the Fraser Valley. For the first time, the university’s automotive collision repair and refinishing class boasts a nearly-equal gender split. They say that it’s representative of a larger shift happening across Canada.
There has been concentrated recruitment push in Chilliwack at various events in the community, including the Fraser Valley Women’s Expo, the UFV Women Explore Trades program, and events like UFV Chilliwack Open House. Because of this, awareness of UFV’s trade education offerings has grown, bringing more talented women than ever into Associate Professor Nick Penner’s on-campus auto shop.
The nine-month auto collision repair and refinishing certificate educates students in sheet metal repair, custom metal work, and autobody paint jobs. Eight out of Penner’s 17 students this year identify as female. “You leave with no financial burdens. When I did my schooling, I had zero debt because you earn money while you’re going to school,” Penner said.
“The government pays you while you’re learning, so you get thousands of dollars of schooling basically for nothing. You can make good money if you’re dedicated — it’s a good field to get into.” While many of Penner’s female students joined the certificate program with an existing passion for cars, some of them are trying it out for the first time.