Powered by Curriculum – Winnipeg Free Press

Ayemere Osaherumwen did not show up for work on Friday afternoon.

But this was an exception: Osaherumwen shows up at Price Industries every day armed with industrial training. On Friday, she and 42 other women, many of them newcomers, graduated from a free training program promoting the profession.

The initiative comes at a time when industries are grappling with a shortage of skilled manpower.

“I am very happy,” Osaherumwen said beaming. “This dream has come true. I look forward to what the future holds.”

Three months ago, Osaherumwen could not get a job. She moved to Winnipeg from Nigeria with her husband and five-year-old daughter in June.

The goal is to give the child a good life, he said.

Osaherumwen, 23, looked into child care and health services. The demands of school and practice sidelined him, he said.

Last year, her husband learned about the EmpowHer Women in Trades training program, an initiative started by the Manitoba Construction Sector Council, Manitoba Film Training and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Manitoba.

Osacherumwen signed up for a 12-week program. He chose the production stream; other women enrolled in construction and film studies.

“I heard stories about women who were in the industry,” Osaherumwen recalled. “It made me want to do (it). I thought it was run by men.”

In November, Osaherumwen joined a diverse group filing documents at the Manitoba Institute of Construction Trades headquarters. Newcomers from Ukraine, Sudan and Morocco; they joined local women, single mothers and people looking to change careers, as well as others who identified as female.

Osaherumwen learned job preparation skills such as resume and interview preparation among all her peers.

Finally, he was assigned to an entry-level training course with his production colleagues.

There are about 23 different manufacturing subsectors, making it difficult to create a single program, noted Andrea Aiello, CME's executive director of workforce development.

He asked CME members who they would hire.

“We really said, 'We're going to put together a team of 14 women who are going to be first-rate employees for you,'” Aiello explained.

From there, enterprises can train their new employees, he said.

Osaherumwen's employment took place at Price Industries, where he subsequently signed on for full-time employment.

Aiello estimated that nine of the 14 graduates who graduated from the industry have already landed full-time jobs. According to Carol Paul, executive director of the Manitoba Construction Sector Council, about half of construction graduates are employed.

MCSC started a second batch due to program demand.

Nineteen percent of Manitoba's construction workforce — 7,600 employees — will reach retirement age in the next decade.

Women occupy only four percent of the construction workforce and less than 30 percent of manufacturing roles.

Paul said: “It's not just about getting women to work.” “We want to make sure that the workplace culture is where women feel like they can stay.”

Access to childcare and obtaining driver's licenses and vehicles are major barriers for women construction workers, Paul said.

There is also exercise.

“We need more free programming. People cannot afford to go to school and take time off from work at the same time. It's a double whammy,” said Paul.

The three organizations funded EmpowHer through a $225,000 provincial government grant. The Construction Sector Council will apply for new funding in the next financial year, Paul said.

Women in the construction stream of the initial cohort studied commercial painting; Paul got the idea from Sudanese refugees who wanted a similar program.

“These women are strong women,” said Lee Pauls, film studies valedictorian. “I'm very inspired by them.”

She watched students come to class every day and navigate language barriers and childcare needs. Pauls, 37, called it an “honor” to represent his classmates on Friday.

He found the free program on the Film Training Manitoba website. Pauls is an actor and creator; he wanted to learn skills behind the camera.

It is currently managed by Merit Motion Pictures. More programs like EmpowHer are needed, Pauls said.

“You're building the future,” he said. “For more organizations to see (it) again, I think it's critical to its success.”

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Gabriel Piche
Reporter

Gabby is a big fan of people, writing and reading. She graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in spring 2020.

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