Non-traditional trades offer women better lifestyle

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Angie Kezar knew at age 36 that she didn't want to work in the hospitality industry the rest of her life, and she knew she had the capability to do more.

She had worked as a waitress for 15 years, followed by a stint in management. It was a tough haul, with long hours and "no rewards."

Kezar added, "If I had a dollar for every jerk I had to serve, I'd be a millionaire. But it wasn't going to happen waitressing."

She wanted to get away from working with people and do something where "I could just focus on my work."

The idea of acquiring a trade appealed, but she needed to find out what she was in for before committing to a lengthy apprenticeship.

Fairview College's Co-operative Trades Orientation program was the answer.

Beginning in October 2000, it gave her 19-weeks of intensive classroom and entry-level shop experience in carpentry, auto body, electrical, motorcycle mechanic, partsman, plumbing and welding. Safety training too.

Then Kezar knew she was interested in pursuing carpentry as a career.

She got her first trades work experience with Square and Compass Carpentry in Grande Prairie from December 2000 to March 2001.

The Metis local in Peace River had intended to sponsor her by paying half her training wage, but as she was on EI at the time, the government sponsored her. "The Metis association paid for the course and then sponsored me for my last month (when EI benefits had run out)."

She was offered the opportunity to continue working with the same firm as she continued her four-year apprenticeship, but it was a quiet time for the firm and Kezar needed full-time hours. So she went to work for Double R Home and Building Contracting, and has worked there since April 2001.

Kezar said she needs to work about 1,355 hours a year and do two months of school each year to reach journeyman level.

She took the school portion of her first year of carpentry in November and December 2001.

Prior to taking the co-op trades orientation, Kezar said she was 10 credits short of having her high school diploma.

"The biggest worry for me was my math. Math was probably the worse subject for me, so of course I was wondering whether or not carpentry would be a good thing for me to go into." But all she needed was Grade 9 math to enter the trade and Kezar has Math 20.

"I did struggle with some of my math near the tail end of my first year that I took here just before Christmas, and I think that I would like to take a math course, maybe my Math 30, before I go back for my second year."

She said "I still have three more years of school, and then another year after my last year of school for my hours, before I'm journeyman." Then she can anticipate earning between $22 and $24 an hour. Foremen or supervisors make more.

"And the journeyman are going to end up with those positions, because nobody else will have the schooling."

Kezar cautioned that anyone entering a trade "should make sure that your math is decent. It's all formulas, it's all figuring out one thing or another. I knew that I would have to have geometry for sure for carpentry, but I didn't know the extent of what I would need to know."

She'd like to see more women choose to enter trades as well, as she saw only one other woman while she was at Fairview College. There were 85 men in her class.

She said only the first day was daunting, however. "The guys in my class were wonderful. I sat with the math genius, so he helped me with my math."

She will return to school next January, when she expects to see a lot of familiar faces.

"They only offer certain years (of study) at certain times of the year."

She added that a lot of women "think they can't do a trade because they aren't a man, but that's not true in any way, shape or form." Kezar said she is only of average build, but "I have no trouble doing the hard stuff at work.

"If you've got the smarts, if you're decent at math, you can pretty much do any trade. And I think that it's completely rewarding.My son thinks that this is just the best thing since sliced bread. He's so proud of his mom."

She said it was waitressing that was "back-breaking work. I was more tired after packing a tray for eight hours than I am coming home after packing two-by-fours for eight hours."

Kezar said the future for tradespeople looks good, since more people are retiring than are entering apprenticeship programs. Getting your hours in and obtaining appropriate experience does mean, however, hooking up with a good employer.

"I work for a wonderful employer. He gave me a fairly decent raise when I came back after my first year."

Her firm does mostly cabinets, countertops and light renovations. "We don't do any concrete or exterior framing," she said. That means she works a standard five-day week "unless we're swamped - that's the only time we work weekends. . . . it's perfect for me, because I have a family."

By age 45 or 46, Kezar hopes to be self-employed and working at home building fine furniture styled on antiques. Originally she had hoped to take cabinet making, but that is not offered at Fairview College and she is not willing to separate from her family to attend school in Edmonton. "So I decided on taking a carpentry course at Fairview."

Kezar said her husband "thinks it's right on" that she's learning a trade, as he has done woodworking as a hobby for 10 years and they can share the tools and activities, including home renovations.

"We have a shop in our basement. . . . now he doesn't have to do all the work."