Trades program changing women's lives
- Jeanelle Mandes | February 03, 2015
A Women in Trades program has changed the lives of eight women from Montreal Lake Cree Nation.
Daisy Gamble, manager of Montreal Lake Housing, says after the women’s training was done, they were hired full time to do some minor renovations within the community and they were also sent for more training in Prince Albert. “We sent them for more training with Prince Albert Grand Council and they trained them how to complete a renovated house,” says Gamble.
Gamble says after the training with PAGC was completed, four of the women were hired to build a 4-plex building and they just recently finished.
“It was such a success. They just finished a four-plex and we had an open house...and people were moving in,” she says. “It is so exciting because we never used ladies in construction or anything. These ladies were able do the work that men can do,” adds Gamble.
Gamble says the majority of the women are single mothers who have worked so hard that they worked right through the holidays because of the passion they gained in this field of work.
She also says this type of opportunity is important because a lot of women want to do this type of work but haven’t been given a chance.
Rhonda Bird, one of the women who have received the trades training says this opportunity has opened many future possibilities. “I want to keep moving forward and help a lot of people. It’s a good experience and I want to keep moving forward in this,” says Bird.
Bird, single mother of three children, says she feels great after receiving the training and wants to continue working. “I want to travel with my coworkers and I want to show people that we can do it right the first time,” says Bird. She hopes to have her own business after she completes her journeymen in construction and carpentry. She plans on going back to school in the fall of this year.
“Everybody has a gift and we just opened doors for them. I’m so proud of them and it gave somebody a chance and brightened their lives,” says Gamble. “If it wasn’t for God, this wouldn’t have happened,” she adds.
This training has inspired two of the women to go into their own business and the others want to go for more training in the trades to obtain their journeymen papers. Next month, the women will be busy again building a house from the ground up.
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