She Wears Work Boots

Angela Coldwell is an award winning chemistry and physics teacher. She founded Honour The Work as a result of conversations with industry members who shared how K-12 students and adults generally aren't aware of how rewarding and diverse, skilled trades and AEC careers can be. Combining a love of hands-on learning, educational research, and projected workforce needs, the idea of grades 1-6 STEAMS Kits was born. Honour The Work serves to spark interest in young learners through books and building activities; connect youth and adults to useful resources through their website; and tell the stories of people in the industry via social media. Find more about Honour The Work and Angela Coldwell here: https://honourthework.ca/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/honor-the-work/posts/?feedView=all https://www.instagram.com/honourtheworkca/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-coldwell-aba836124/

Based in South-Western Ontario, Build a Dream is an organization that delivers specialized programs to encourage and empower women and girls to explore careers where women are under-represented, while also working to create a gender-balanced workforce and change global perspectives on women’s contribution to society. McKenna Goodwin is a Red Seal Endorsed General Carpenter. She currently works for Build a Dream as a Career Coach, working directly with tradeswomen and industry partners to improve the recruitment, retention and support of tradeswomen. Pinky Sabhnani is a dedicated Project Manager and the Employment Programs Lead. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration, she thrives on understanding human behaviour and optimizing processes. Find more about Build a Dream, McKenna and Pinky here: https://www.webuildadream.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/webuildadream/ https://www.instagram.com/webuildadream/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenna-goodwin-rse-443093248/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinkysabhnani/

Michelle McCollum has over 30 years of experience in construction. Her career started in Edinburgh, Scotland where she spent 15 years working in municipal government. In 2008, she and her family moved to Canada.  Today, she is Vice-President, Facilities and Sustainability, for George Brown College where she leads the development and deployment of the sustainability strategy, campus planning and the evolution of the college’s physical footprint. Michelle is a highly skilled public sector leader and social responsibility advocate. At the start of her career she was consistently the only woman in every room and had to learn to navigate the stigmas, misconceptions and outright offensive behaviour of the men who populated the workforce. Although so much has changed, there is still much to do and Michelle is passionate about imparting her wisdom, confidence and encouragement to the next generation. Find more of Michelle and her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-mccollum-96b5b750/ https://www.linkedin.com/school/george-brown-college/ https://www.georgebrown.ca/

McKenna Goodwin is a Red Seal Endorsed General Carpenter from Ottawa, Ontario. She started her apprenticeship framing houses at age 16 and completed her apprenticeship with UBCJA Local 93 at age 21. Today, McKenna is a Career Coach for the non-profit organization Build a Dream and works directly with tradeswomen and industry partners to improve the recruitment, retention and support of tradeswomen. She is also the Vice-Chair of the technical committee developing the CSA Z301 Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Apprenticeship Programs standard. Find more of McKenna and her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenna-goodwin-rse-443093248/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/webuildadream/ https://www.instagram.com/webuildadream/

Camryn Malaney grew up in a family deeply rooted in construction. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, she inherited her passion for the industry from her father, who has been working in development throughout her whole life. Today, she is the Director of Construction for Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota. The role allows her to work in her deep-seated passion for community service and allows her to be not just a builder of structures, but a builder of dreams and a catalyst for positive change. Her commitment to Habitat for Humanity reflects her dedication to helping others and creating pathways for individuals to thrive. Camryn has not only shattered glass ceilings but has also laid the foundation for her own success, as the 2023 Construction Woman of the Year & as a 2023 Young Professional of The Year Nominee. Find more of Camryn and her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camryn-malaney-00ba86249/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/habitatsouthsarasota/ https://www.habitatsouthsarasota.org/

Adrienne Clarke and Jami Snow return for a different kind of episode. Adrienne and Jami have worked together at Aecon just over a year leading an innovative joint venture called Aecon-Golden Mile. AGM was created to expand economic opportunities for residents of the Greater Golden Mile that are facing barriers to the labour market.  In that short time they've each and both been active parts of some of Aecon's coolest initiatives and are here to share more about that and the unique dynamic of their working partnership. Find more information about AGM here: https://www.aecon.com/join-our-team/diversity-programs/aecon-golden-mile

Dee Durant is an electrical apprentice working towards her 309A Construction Maintenance electrical license. She is also a KickAss careers ambassador, a co-host of a talk show called Building Resilience on YouTube, and a former Weston scholar. Through her work and volunteerism, she encourages others to consider a career in the skilled trades, understand and end stigmas, and help to create a better workplace environment for all employed within the skilled trades. Dee has worked in a variety of different electrical trade environments and sectors, from the world's largest nuclear power plant to residential sales, services, new builds, and high-rises. She has already experienced and learned so much in her young career and although she has a lot more to learn, she is eager to see where the trades will take her career path next. In this episode we talk about ADHD and mental health, the importance of sharing with the next generation, and the joy of finding your people. Find more of Dee and her work here: https://www.instagram.com/dee.d15/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/deedurant/ https://www.kickasscareers.ca/ https://www.youtube.com/@Building2Resilience deedurant2000@gmail.com

Jami Snow has been working in construction for 11 years. Starting out as a temporary ground person with IBEW, she worked as a labourer on a solar farm, assembling a-frames & installing solar panels. Over time, her passion for the industry grew as she completed heavy equipment training and got her AZ license. In 2019, she saw a job posting for Aecon Women in Trades and joined the program. She's been with Aecon ever since working in a few different roles and today is the Senior Field Supervisor with the Aecon Golden Mile Joint Venture.

Cheyanne Hammell is the Manager of Special Projects for PCL Constructors, Toronto. In 2007 she graduated from Mohawk College with an Architectural Technology diploma in Construction Management. Today, with more than 18 years of experience in the construction industry, she is a visionary leader, driven and inspired by the thrill of construction and seeing the outcomes of hard work. She is a member of PCL Toronto’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team, leading community involvement initiatives with not-for-profit organizations and encourages young women to explore career opportunities in industries like construction and engineering. Knowing the value of mentorship, Cheyanne is dedicated to developing her direct reports and those around her, acting as both a mentor and sponsor to other women within PCL and the construction industry. Cheyanne was recognized as a Premier’s Award for Technology recipient and an Alumni of Distinction by Mohawk College in 2023; a Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction in 2022; and a Women’s Leadership Initiative Champion and Toronto District’s recipient of PCL’s internal Robert Stollery Construction Leadership Award in 2021. In this episode we talk about the technical side of construction project management, the ongoing learning required by the industry, and the joy of building cool things. Find more of Cheyanne and her work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheyanne-hammell-2612b130/ https://www.pcl.com/ca/en/services/special-projects

Jamie McMillan became an ironworker in 2002 when women only represented 2% of ironworkers across Canada and the United States. In 2012 she founded KickAss Careers, a grassroots initiative creating awareness and encouraging those of all ages and walks of life to consider careers in underrepresented occupations through school and community outreach. Jamie travels a lot, to speak all across North America. Her efforts have gained international notoriety for opening doors and minds to the possibilities of well-paid careers in skilled trades and technology sectors. But one of my most favourite recent initiatives is her new YouTube channel with co-host Dee Durant called Building Resilience. In this episode we talk about ADHD, mental health in trades, and the multi-faceted challenge of attracting and keeping talent in the trades. Find more of Jamie and her work here: https://madeinthetrade.com/ https://www.kickasscareers.ca/kickassteam https://www.youtube.com/@Building2Resilience