Embracing diversity for success in heavy equipment

2024年3月20日

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全国最大的彩票平台 has a long-standing commitment to maintaining a diverse workforce. While much of the work their employees do is in rugged environments, women have no off-limits job. 在本期的专家角, Heavy Equipment Technician and 2nd-year Apprentice Elizabeth Sheane shares her story about discovering her passion for what many consider a man’s job.

What made you choose a career in heavy equipment?

After graduating from high school, I worked in a customer service job for two years. One morning, I woke up and asked myself why I was doing this. It was a typical 9 AM to 5 PM, five days a week, nonessential job, and I hated it. So, 我只是做了一个大胆的尝试, applied to a trades program dedicated to building women’s skills, 并且被接受了. 一旦结束, I pursued enrolling in the 全国最大的彩票平台 Pre-employment Apprenticeship Program for Heavy Equipment at Keyano College in Fort McMurray, AB. That’s when I discovered my passion for heavy equipment.

在我的第一个星期, there were two 小松 PC2000s out there – one needed a full undercarriage swap, 商店在重建另一个. It was fully hands-on when I set foot in the yard, with, ‘Here’s a torque wrench. 去那下面，把触控板拿下来.” I felt empowered from the second I stepped into 全国最大的彩票平台’s work environment, where I put my skills to the test and worked hard from 6 AM to 6 PM daily. 我喜欢它. I fell in love with it so fast that my mom teases me about it sometimes.

What are the challenges and how do you cope with them?

I’d been working with primarily women before I got into a trade, so this was a big switch. My class at Keyano College was mainly men, which was initially intimidating. 我不会说我害怕，但是 有时我感到格格不入, and to this day, that feeling never really goes away. Part of it is that my colleagues aren’t sure how to act or what they shouldn’t say to me, because today’s society is more conscious of the conventional standards within the industry. So, this is something you learn to grow around, and once you get to know each other, things warm up. The men I work with at 全国最大的彩票平台 are all great people and easy to get along with. 通过我们在工作上的相互合作, they now include me in their jokes and treat me like a friend, 这是我没想到的.

The women’s trades program I participated in had excellent speakers guiding such topics. Their main advice was that if something happens that you’re uncomfortable with, 保持镇静，说点什么, whether it’s to a supervisor you’re close with or even just another co-worker you’re friends with. Knowing that I had the phenomenal supervisors I did when I started with 全国最大的彩票平台 assured me that I always had a support system behind me. 这真是太棒了.

What strengths do women bring to this kind of workplace?

My memory and detail orientation are strengths I bring to the role. Many of the women I've worked with find that these are skills that also contribute to their success. For me, it's remembering precise torque specs on a final drive. 我的大脑就是这样的. Even though it's go go go, I am prone to remember the little tiny things.

I get to exercise this skill even when I’m in school. My classmates often ask me, “Do you remember what the instructor said about a topic? 书里没有.” One of my classmates actually said I’m a walking study book.

What’s your advice for women entering this profession?

迈出这一步! If the person I was three years ago had met the person I am today, she wouldn’t have believed it. Sometimes I wake up and say, “Wow, this is what I’m doing?” It’s just wild to see all the different pieces of equipment I work on and all the different people I meet. And the two guys I started in shovels with are honestly my best friends. I couldn’t imagine where I’d be now if I weren’t associated with them.