Women in skilled trades talk of successes, roadblocks

Tara Jeffrey Nikki Noble was 16 when she fell in love with welding. “I went to a trades show and my friend’s dad had a booth set up with the Local 663 TIG welding,” said Noble, who’s now 36 and the Coordinator/Professor of Welding at Lambton College.

Tara Jeffrey

Nikki Noble was 16 when she fell in love with welding.

“I went to a trades show and my friend’s dad had a booth set up with the Local 663 TIG welding,” said Noble, who’s now 36 and the Coordinator/Professor of Welding at Lambton College. “I welded two pieces of plate together and that was it — I just wanted to do more.”

She kept going, honing her craft, attending school, working at fabrication shops, and eventually became a Journeyperson Welder.

“Over the years I would see a random female welder here and there,” said Noble. “But I’d say in the last five years, I’ve seen a real focus on females interested, and it’s amazing.”

Noble is one of six panelists set to share their stories at an upcoming Women in Skilled Trades presentation through the Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board (SLWDB).

“I always jump at the opportunity to share my story — I wish I’d had this kind of opportunity when I was growing up,” said Noble, who encourages women and girls to branch out and give the trades a try, especially when choosing high school courses. “If you have an interest, shoot for it. Nothing should get in the way but yourself.”

Research conducted by the SLWDB in 2019 showed a “drastic” need for skilled tradespeople locally, and identified a need to attract more youth and women to address the shortage.

“Jobs in the skilled trades remain posted to job boards for several months at a time,” the group noted in its 2020-2021 Local Labour Market Plan.

“Employers anticipate the current shortage will continue and likely increase in the next five years as the current workforce retires and/or large scale projects move forward.”

Of 11,075 people with a trade certificate or in an apprenticeship, only 2,155 were female, the group reported.

“We want to give a realistic picture of what a career in the skilled trades can give you,” SLWDB senior researcher Mikelle Bryson-Campbell said of the event, which also includes electricians Cyndie Caudle and Whitney Litchfield; Ironworker and Boilermaker Sam Lewis; CEDO Apprentice Nicole Spencer; and Elke Kleihauer-Ward, the first female Tool and Die Maker in Canada.

“They’re real about the journeys they’ve had, their success and the roadblocks they’ve encountered.”

The panel discussion, followed by a Q&A with the presenters, will be held virtually on Oct. 26 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Details can be found at slwdb.org.