SASKATOON — A simple English project became a fascination for Charlotte Salamon to join the High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program, and she is now considering a future career in the trades to join a growing number of women who are taking on jobs that men usually do.
Salamon is among the more than 15 Grades 11 and 12 students at Mount Royal Collegiate taking HCAP under Program Facilitator Karen Kurtenbach and instructor Austin Johnson. She and other senior students listened to former HCAP apprentices Kaitie Cornea and Alex Zbitniff.
Cornea and Zbitniff, graduates of HCAP, were the guest speakers on women excelling in the trades as part of the Saskatoon Public Schools’ HCAP, where students are allowed to prepare for and consider careers in the trades.
Kurtenbach said Salamon asked for help completing a research paper for her English class, where she needs to interview women in trades. Little did she know that the project would inspire her to join HCAP.
“In English class, we're doing an inquiry project, where we research struggles in Canada. I thought about women's difficulties in Canada and just started doing basic research,” said Salamon after Thursday’s, Jan. 9, event at the Saskatoon Trade & Skills Centre.
“I asked [Kurtenbach] if I could interview her. And she then asked if I wanted more people to be interviewed. She got all these women who were previously in the program to come and share their stories. Their stories made me interested in HCAP.”
She added that she’s been fascinated by the trades since she was involved in construction in ninth grade, attending an open house on HCAP after seeing an advertisement for the event. After graduation, she is considering pursuing further studies as a painter or floor installer.
“There was some advertising at my school. My construction teacher did talk about it a bit like he mentioned it. So I went to the available open house, got more information, and decided it was for me,” said Salamon.
“I thought it [HCAP] was such a nice program. I decided to try it out, to test all the trades and see what else there was. Painting and flooring are the ones that I enjoyed while doing this program. It opens opportunities.”
Salamon added that she would recommend that other female students be open and try on different things while still in high school to learn what they want to pursue in their future career, such as studying in a trade institution as an alternative to university.
“There's no pressure to decide right now. If you try different things, you can narrow it down to what you want to do further in life. The [HCAP] program began in September. We are separated into groups, and we complete tasks given to us,” she said.
“It's nice to have different groups and learn other things about them. This [HCAP] program will help me start a career after graduation because I'll have some experience doing these things. It'll give me a kind of push above the other people.”
MRC Vice Principal Kate Clemens said HCAP provides their students with a unique opportunity to learn from women who have excelled in the trades and the importance of recognizing the impact and significance of women in trades.
“Women bring diverse perspectives, skills, and strengths to the industry, breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations. Their contributions are vital to the growth and innovation of the trades, and their success stories inspire others to pursue careers in these fields,” said Clemens.
“We are proud to highlight the achievements of our former students and provide current students with the opportunity to learn from their experiences. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our partners and sponsors; you can see them displayed around the space. Their support is invaluable, and we wouldn't exist without their contributions and commitment to our program.”
Cornea, who participated in HCAP in 2017, is now based in Swift Current. There, she manages her own business, KC Flooring, and gives students hands-on demonstrations on floor installation. Zbitniff, who participated in HCAP in 2014, is now a journeyperson and foreperson with Wright Construction.
Zbitniff was joined by Rhean Nowakowski, Danielle Cardinal Kyra Stefanuk, and Ashley Meredith, her co-workers at Wright Construction.
