Do you think that certain jobs
are right for men and other jobs
are right for women?

Stationary
Engineer,
4th Class

To watch Kimberly Best at work is like seeing Alice in Wonderland after she drank the shrinking potion. In Kimberly's work as a 4th Class Power Engineer for the Yukon government, she works with massive boilers, valves, ducts and pipes. Kimberly is responsible for the care and operation of the power plant that generates steam for heat and electricity for air conditioning and humidity.

“My job is to ensure that the building remains a comfortable temperature, that the air quality is good, and that there is a safe environment for the employees.” Kimberly stresses that in the workplace, safety comes first. “In my job, it is important to be able to work independently and to be able to solve problems as they arise.”

Kimberly learned about this type of work from her father who is also a Power Engineer. It took Kimberly one year of training and a government exam to become a 4th Class Power Engineer. “The wages are good, and I like the work. It's a good feeling to know that you can take control of this massive machinery and make it behave itself. And if something does go wrong, you know what to do to fix it.”

Another advantage of Kimberly's work is that she can choose to live almost anywhere in Canada and be quite confident that she can get a good job. “There are buildings everywhere and engineers are always needed to operate and maintain them.”

“I don't do my job just because it's unique; I do it because I enjoy it. If you want to get into a job like this, do it because you are interested and you like it.”