WOMEN IN TRADES CONFERENCE

Chris Allinotte, WRLA

Here’s a pop-quiz for you: in the Lumber and Building Materials Industry, what percentage of employees are women?

A. 33%

B. 4%

C. 17%

D. 25%

The answer, according to the most recent statistics compiled by the Canadian Construction Association, is 4 per cent.

Surprised?

For the majority of women who are working in our industry, this is not breaking news. So, the question then becomes, at a time when nearly every single business is looking to bring in new employees to support the growth and expansion of their operation—or in some cases, to make sure that the business can stay open—why wouldn’t we look at adding more women to the industry?

That seems to be a perfectly reasonable approach, so we have the “what” portion of “what should we do” figured out … but how? That is the real question.

A big part of the answer lies in events like the Manitoba Women in Trades conference.

On November 16, Manitoba Construction Sector Council welcomed over two-hundred guests and exhibitors to Winnipeg to hear from experts in the field, to have discussions and create connections, and to learn about the many opportunities for women to get into the trades. WRLA was in attendance as an exhibitor with president Liz Kovach and Director of Marketing and Communications Chris Allinotte operating our information booth. (More on that later.)

The day began with a warm welcome from Master of Ceremonies Delia Veronica Joseph, a mediator for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission who specializes in bringing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the workplace. This was followed up by an opening prayer by Elder Mae Louise Campbell, a member of the mayor’s Indigenous Advisory Circle, and Kookum Kaa Na Da Maa Waad Abinoojiiak Council: Grandmothers Protecting our Children. This was followed up by Winnipeg’s new mayor, Scott Gillingham, and the Hon. Rochelle Squires, Minister of Families, Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs & Minister responsible for Status of Women.

Everyone agreed that it was very encouraging to see so many attendees at the event and particularly great to see so many students in attendance. While there are opportunities for women of all ages to join the industry, making connections with youth while they are still in school has the benefit of letting them try their hand in various areas to find the right-fit job for them. Job satisfaction comes up a lot in articles discussing Gen Z and their attitudes toward current and future careers. It’s not enough for the youth to have a job to go to—they want to believe that what they are doing is making a difference.123

Engaging youth, particularly young women, was a major theme of the morning’s keynote session, delivered by Mary Van Buren, president of the Canadian Construction Association. Her talk, entitled, “I’ll have what they’re having. Taking your place at the table,” discussed the need for businesses to make a conscious effort to bring a greater diversity of employees onboard. She illustrated the point with a “then and now” photo of the Canadian Construction Association itself, which showed that even in the last ten years, the organization has gone from exclusively male to having a woman in the top leadership position, with several other women in key positions. She stressed that the opportunities are out there for women, but it will require work on behalf of businesses to make change happen.

Following Mary’s speech there was a panel discussion by four construction industry leaders, who spoke candidly about their experiences, observations, and ideas for positive change as women in a male-dominated industry.

Later in the morning, small-group breakout sessions created a great opportunity for attendees to get in on the discussion. One of these, Workplace Inclusion: Women in the Construction Industry—Building your HR Competitive Advantage—demonstrated that increasing diversity within an organization isn’t just a feel-good exercise—it makes proven, measurable business sense. With a growing cohort of consumers that demand to do business with ethical, socially conscious companies, those that choose to do things “the way they’ve always done them” may well find themselves losing out on a lot of sales.

Alongside the presentations and discussions was the exhibition floor, where organizations set up booths to directly engage the attendees and showcase just some of the options that are available within our industry. At the WRLA booth, Liz and Chris talked to conference guests about the unlimited options that are available on the supply side of the trades. With occupations that range from forklift driving to the C-suite of billion-dollar companies, there is a place in the LBM industry for every individual, every interest, and every passion. As an added bonus, we debuted our newest video at our booth, in which seven different women from within the WRLA membership talked about their experiences in the industry, the career paths that led them to their current positions, and what they liked most about what they do.

With events like Manitoba Women in Trades, and WOLF (Women of Lumber and Forestry) out west happening, and providing a place for women to come together, support each other, and connect each other to meaningful opportunities within the industry, it’s clear that there is incredible potential waiting for businesses to reach out and engage. WRLA couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.

Want to hear more about the conference? Liz had a great interview with the organizer of the Manitoba Women in Trades event, Carol Paul, Director of Manitoba Construction Sector Council. You can hear the full conversation on our podcast. Check it out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app. Make sure to subscribe—we’ve got so many more great guests lined up!

You can also check out our “Conversations with the Women of the Lumber and Building Materials Industry” video on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@wrlainc227

1 “What Does Gen Z Want in the Workplace?” (extensishr.com)

2 “What Gen Z Wants At Work Will Blow Your Mind” (forbes.com)

3 “What Does Gen Z Expect in the Workplace?” (businessnewsdaily.com)

“This event is so needed in the industry we chose to have our careers in. To be heard and acknowledged was so refreshing. And to know we are all in this together in empowering.

The speakers were fun, fantastic and relevant, the schedule of events flowed with ease, and the location was breathtaking.

You can tell a lot of thought and heart went into this event and even the smallest detail was executed perfectly in my opinion.

I for one cannot wait to see where this event goes in the future because this is only the beginning!”

—Michelle Thompson, PinkWood