New Boots: Progressing Women in Trades New Brunswick’s network & resource hub

How we progressed from a pilot project to a provincial network

Hélène Savoie-Louis, M.O.

We usually take the pulse of the room …

Agenda

• About MAPSWS

• New Boots - Pilot project phase

• Participants

• Data collection method

• Research – themes, observations & best practices

• Participant progression

• New Boots a provincial network & resource hub for NB!

About MAPSWSMAP Strategic Workforce Services is an industry-led non-profit organization dedicated to creating inclusive and learning cultures in NB workplaces through effective mentorship, change management strategies and human resources best practices.

MAP Strategic Workforce Services (commonly known as MAP) was created in 2013 but was formally incorporated as a non-profit organization in February 2016. MAP delivers two programs:

• New Brunswick Mentor Apprentice Program (NBMAP)

• New Boots: Progressing Women in Trades

Numbers don’t lie! Women represent about 10% of the trades workforce for all industries in Canada (2015).

Women represent only 6.4% of the workers in transportation, construction and trades in Canada (2009).

In New Brunswick:

• About 4% of the trades workforce are women (all trades)

• Less then 3% of NB apprentices are females in non-traditional skilled trades

• We are ranked 12th just before Nunavut!

New Boots – pilot project 2015-2018

• Partnership between MAPSWS and AOC - GNB

• Short term:

• Increase the number of female Block 1 apprentices completing apprenticeship training among construction skilled trades in New Brunswick

• Long Term:

• To increase the number of women registered in non-traditional trade apprenticeships.

• To hopefully change the culture in trades so that more women enroll in trades programs.

• Group objective

• 8 to 12 participants block 1 in construction skilled trades to be followed closely during 3 year period for data collection to better understand challenges faced by women trades in NB.

Participants for pilot project

+ 40 women applied in 2015 … started with 15 and added 3 more during first year.

Participants for pilot project

Research – data collection tools

Research was a mix of quantitative & qualitative for better understanding of the lived experience :

• Questionnaires

• One on one on site visits

• Regional suppers

• Annual gathering & training

• Private Facebook group

• Access to coordinator 24/7 by telephone, text, email, messenger, etc.

Research - surveys The selection of themes was based on past research about women in non-traditional skilled trades and themes that the participants brought up themselves.

Note: These are surveys sent to participants or their employers from the New Boots program – these do not include questions posted on private group by participants themselves that sparked conversations.

• Who are you?

• How did you get here (influencers)?

• Being an apprentice in NB – The Apprenticeship program

• Being a women in construction

• Lay off periods – how do you prepare?

• Employers – how are things going? (twice)

• Mothers - how do you balance work and family responsibilities?

• Female apprentices - how do you balance life and work responsibilities?

• Participant’s evaluation of the initiative itself

Research – in person meetings

One on one visits

• Twice during the project (Fall 2015 & Fall 2017)

• Some worksites weren’t accessible due to schedule conflicts (different reason) – meetings were coordinated off site

• Crucial

• Better understanding of workplace reality for each participant

• Create a trust between coordinator and participants

Research – in person meetings

Regional suppers

• Twice during the project (Spring 2016 & Spring 2017)

• Moncton, Miramichi, Bathurst, Fredericton & Saint John (travel to destination, km $)

• Weren’t planned in the project, but participants requested more in person get together – most of them being only female working in trades

• We underestimate the in person contact with younger generations!

Research – annual gathering & trainingA full day of training, discussion circles, and a networking luncheon

• Moncton - December 2015 (Apprentice Responsibilities & Our personality impacts team synergy)

• Fredericton - December 2016 (NBCSA’s Harassment & Work Safe NB)

• Miramichi - April 2018 (Media 101 & The M.E.N.T.O.R. Approach)

A private Facebook group was create in January of 2016 at the participants request

As of 2016, included a supper the night before

The annual gatherings created lasting friendships between participants that are still ongoing now

Research – Observations

• The reality of a male dominated workforce

• “Boys club mentality”

• White male privilege

• Female bias

• Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for women

• Diversity/Mentoring training – not to be confused with sensitive training

• Recruitment & HR practices in the construction industry

• Recruitment practices in trades

• Recruitment practice as a challenge for women and the younger generation

• Adapting HR policies to offer an accommodative workplace

Research – Observations

• Block training & Block progression

• Gap between institutions and the workforce

• NBCC/CCNB versus the private trade institutions

• Inconsistency of block training & AOC services

• Lay off periods

• The success and challenges of participants’ selection

• Mobility is key for employment

• Maturity makes a difference

Research – Participants progression

• When we started:

• 15 … 18 females apprentices at block 1

• 8 participants union members

• 9 construction skilled trades

• 15 employers

• As of June 2018:

• 14 participants at all different levels of apprenticeship and/or journeyperson status

• 6 participants union members

• 8 construction skilled trades

• 12 employers (20 employers in all)

Research – participants progression

Participants 2018

Block 1 Block 2 Block 3 Block 3 & 4 Red Seal

• POSTIVE ! The majority of participants followed the natural progression path in their apprenticeship program once they found employment – 70% success rate

• Four participants had stable funding and they are the ones that progressed the fastest

• Reasons vary to explain different progression towards Red Seal journey: • No block training offered for cabinetmaking in NB• Unstable work and/or very long lay off periods • Changes in job and/or trade• Unsuccessful on block test

Research – Results • Advocacy

• Advocacy from the New Boots coordinator

• Advocacy from participants themselves

• Coaching and support for employers

• Connections

• MAPSWS connection with the industry

• Establishing a network for our participants

• Mentoring as the key to success

• Gaps identified

• Funding challenges

• Wage Subsidies

• Managing expectations

• AOC employer database

• Policy to support apprenticeship

New Boots – a provincial network & resource hub for all non-traditional skilled trades

Our mandate is to help any girl & women from the exploration stage, to preemployment programs, to apprenticeship, to journeyperson status... And it doesn’t end there as they will transition (if willing) to become NBA & mentors for the next generation of tradeswomen!

Our goals

Promotion & Education

Network & Mentoring (recruitment & retention)

Industry & Diversity

Partnerships

**We want to be the one-stop shop for NB!

Schools, Guidance counselors and teachers

• Contact person & Information

• Booths for career fair, try-a-trade, etc.

• Female Mentors Classroom & Individual Contact

• Employer contacts for onsite visits

• Scholarships & Financial programs

• Events & Activities for you and your students

Women & girls

• NB New Boots Coordinator

• Social medias

• Access to a network of models working in a skilled trade

• Mentoring, resources, scholarships, tools and referral to appropriate services

• Labour market support, such as job readiness, job search (signing bonus), etc.

• Events & activities

Employers

• NB New Boots Coordinator

• Financial resources (funds), Signing bonus

• Access to a data base of apprentices and women in skilled trades

• Inhouse training related to diversity, communication, integration, etc.

• HR Services (interventions, policies, etc.)

• Events & activities

AOC - Our partners

A special nod & THANKS to our AOC.

The true unsung heroes of our future skilled trades workforce & our New Boots network!

This couldn’t be possible without them!

Up coming activities • Morning Mixers / Causeries du matin

• Fall annual co-branded events with our partners NBCC & CCNB, Skills Canada NB

• March 8 – Try-a-trade for girls, women & communities by tradeswomen

• April – annual conference for NB

How to reach us? www.nb-map.ca

info@nb-map.ca

506-658-8282

@NBNewBoots

www.facebook.com/NBNewBoots/

*** Bilingual social medias

Thank you! Questions or comments?