Women with survey instrument

Of the women who were unemployed in the group, only three wanted to be and those had chosen to stay at home with their children. The others described job searches that would wrench your heart. They were so respectable, so clear, so strong and persevering, had been at the top of their class and still were unemployed. How disheartening, for them and us. But the courage with which they continued to bang on doors was inspiring.

One woman from Winnipeg described her job search. She is a Black single parent with five children; she was the top of her class as a machinist and she had received a CN scholarship. Her instructors sent her out to every job that came into the college and every time she came back without it. She was clear thinking and well spoken, and she had been searching for a year.

But there were some who had success stories to tell. A woman I met in Winnipeg works in maintenance for the Western Glove Company. She now supervises seventeen people and is in charge of maintenance for a brand new factory.

Sixty-six percent of the women who were not employed in trades or technology were working in other non-traditional fields, for example, as a ground keeper or corrections officer. Many had moved from trades or technology to a related job, such as an apprenticeship counsellor or WITT instructor.

The other 34% were women who had entered the course in a depressed state, financially or psychologically. Through confidence building and exploring their own potential, they decided they were more suited to a traditional career option, as in computer office work or computer banking. One woman, who is moving her way up in a bank, started her WITT course as a single mother just re-entering the labour force who felt she had no confidence or abilities. The hands-on component, assertiveness training, resumé writing, job interviewing skills, etc., had helped her to determine that trades were not her area but technology might be. She began to see herself as competent and capable, one who could go out into the work world and get a job. Now she is on her way to becoming a bank manager.

When asked what they liked most about the personal development components of the course, people mentioned the resumé writing, job search skills and interviewing techniques. Whether they entered trades or traditional work the ability to put themselves down on paper, to speak to employers, and to go through the interview process were all put to extensive use in trying to find a job.

Many encountered antiquated employer attitudes. Statements such as, "We don't employ women here, they distract the men" and "Sorry, no washrooms for girls in the shop" were common. If women were hired, they found themselves putting up with levels of harassment that shocked other women in the focus groups. Often those being harassed did not recognize or acknowledge the problem, desperate enough to work in their chosen field to put up with almost anything.

A number of women had found, after a long and determined search, a supportive employer. An electronics technician in Sudbury, hired by a small firm, was the first woman who had ever been hired to do technical work at the company. She was one of eight employees and she increased the business by a large enough percentage for the company owner (a man) to stand up on video and say so.