Unwelcoming behaviour on the part of classmates or even instructors has also been known to happen. This behaviour may take the form of sexist language or the isolation of female students in classrooms ().

In some cases, women have felt that their shortcomings or mistakes are used to judge them as inferior or less capable than men. On the other hand, male classmates are often not “written off” for making the same mistakes (SaskWITT, 2001; ).

Barriers at worksites

Barriers experienced at worksites are commonly mentioned:

• A lack of diversity training among co-workers, including clarity regarding the issue of employment equity (WITT-NN, 1999)
• Social isolation or a lack of acceptance or inclusion from male co-workers (WITT-Alberta, 2000; )
• Lack of management leadership in setting an appropriate tone in terms of acceptance of women in male-dominated workplaces (WITT-Alberta, 2000)
• Harassment (Sweet and Gallagher, 1997; Madsen, 1999; WITT-Alberta, 2000; Grzetic, 1998; ) and a lack of recourse or employer commitment to redress harassment and inappropriate behaviour (Grzetic, 1998)
• Unfair expectations (women have to work harder to prove their competence to employers and co-workers (Madsen, 1999; Grzetic, 1998; )
• Isolation and damaging comments from other women employed in the same company but in non-trades (usually clerical) positions (Grzetic, 1998)

Despite these experiences, marginal improvements have been noted in some workplaces. In some cases, male apprentices or tradespersons felt that the presence of women had a positive effect on workplaces (Madsen, 1999). Some employers have also been supportive in helping women access training programs, even going as far as to assist in the development of training programs for women (Grzetic, 1998).

While attitudes and behaviours in unionized workplaces may be as unwelcoming as non-unionized workplaces, female workers, nevertheless, may enjoy better equity protection in unionized workplaces. Harassment, isolation and discrimination can be as much a feature of unionized workplaces as non-unionized (). In fact, some unionized workplaces operate without clearly articulated gender-equity policies. When they do, the hiring of female apprentices or trades-person, at times, is merely viewed as a fulfillment of quota obligations (Grzetic, 1998; Women in Resource Development Committee, 2002).

Nevertheless, interviews with key informants also suggest that the retention rate of apprentices and tradeswomen at unionized sites is better than in non-unionized sites. Even when the day-to-day behaviour of male union colleagues is discriminatory, apprenticed women or tradeswomen may often enjoy better protection, equal wages, and support from their unions during disputes ().

An unsatisfactory work/life balance may be a strong barrier for women interested in working in the trades; responsibilities as primary caregivers can be a very common reason for women discontinuing employment or training (Sweet and Gallagher, 1997; O’Hara and Evers, 1996). Women’s roles as primary caregivers can also impose significant barriers to mobility. In particular, extensive travel to remote worksites or after-hours requirements for training may limit the choice of trades work or training (Grzetic, 1998; SPR Associates, 2002A; CLFDB, 1995; Women in Resource Development Committee, 2002; ). At the same time, decisions by women to continue with training or work can cause feelings of guilt and anxiety about taking time away from children (SaskWITT, 2001).