CREATIVE OPTIONS

WOMEN & NON - TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS -
CATHY MULROY, LISA AVEDON & HEATHER BISHOP

Cathy Mulroy is a process laborer in Inco's Coppercliff refinery in Sudbury, Ontario. Cathy worked very closely with the Wives Supporting Inco Strikers during the September 1978 - June 1979 strike at the mine. She is now a member of the Sudbury Women's Centre.

Lisa Avedon is co-ordiantor of the Occupation Selection and Preparation Program at Conestoga College, Kitchener, Ontario. She developed the Introduction to Non-traditional Occupations program at Conestoga College; and was instrumental in both the organization of a provincial conference on INTO held early in the year, and in the establishment of a provincial committee on non-traditional employment for women. Her involvement with CCLOW has been at the national, provincial and local levels.

Heather Bishop is a song writer, musician, singer, and pioneer in the field of trades training for women. Heather was and instructor and co-ordiantor for the first Pre-trades Training course at Red River College, Manitoba. She has also been a project manager for a Canada Manpower Training Improvement project and a Community Development Officer for the Saskatchewan Human Resources Development Agency.

Cathy Mulroy discussed her painful beginning in a "non-traditional" job. the miners, all of whom were men, threatened her and made passes at her; their wives shunned her. Now she has proven herself to her co-vorkers and gained their acceptance. However, management still does not place women in carpentry, maintenance or underground work.

Since many women receive training for non-traditional occupations through programs in educational institutions, what is experiences in these programs can be a critical factor in the determination of their future directions. Therefore, it is important to examine the positive aspects of this kind of training, the problems, and to consider some possible solutions to the problems.

Lisa Avedon presented material designed to stir participants into thinking about the negatives and positives of non-traditional occupations and what they as women are capable of doing.

Heather Bishop gave and overview of the prairie model of pre-trade training courses for women and outlined the available courses all across Canada.

The workshop concluded with a discussion of the women in trades organizations and support systems needed.

Back Contents Next