Job for a Woman Essay Example
Job for a Woman Essay Example

Job for a Woman Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (950 words)
  • Published: May 15, 2022
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The gap in the lack of labor in blue collar jobs especially skilled trade workers is widening. Whenever trade jobs are mentioned the thought of men in overalls automatically come to mind. Plumbing, welding, construction, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), mechanics and electrical fields have for years been portrayed as jobs whose first qualification is some muscles.

Skills in trades are highly in demand, there are not enough male muscles to fill in the trade jobs demands (Snyder, 2012). The saying ‘what a man can do a woman can do better’ may not be entirely true but determined women are finding success in the skilled labor. Women have realized it only takes an interest, hard work, and mentorship to do the jobs that even they thought were the man’s territory and they find new challenges, job satisfaction and go

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od pay in the skilled trades. Nevertheless, as this essay seeks to argue, women have disadvantages in trade jobs in terms of competitions, skills, and discrimination.

One of the challenges that women in the skilled trades industry face is gender-based discrimination. In an article by Bader (2012), Leah Rambo a sheet metal worker reveals that sexism is still a problem for the women in trades.

Women are defined by their gender and not the skills they have to get the job done. Sexual harassment and bullying and not to mention women are denied the same promotion opportunities as their male coworkers. Nevertheless, women are finding ways to circumvent this problem. Obviously, they lack the muscles to fight with men but have what it takes to start up their own ventures that hire fellow women and offer better working conditions.

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with similar training, age and seniority women are less likely than men to be officially recognized by their skills (Miller, 2016). Employer place lesser worth on work done by women. Women are assigned repetitive tasks that are strictly spelled out for them. Personal initiative is restricted compared to the male worker who is allowed to solve issues through personal initiatives. Employers should realize that women are as good as men when it comes to getting the job done and stop babysitting the women. Women should be allowed to explore their exponential potential.

Skepticism is another challenge. Women have to prove their competency, they have to prove they know the job and can be as good at it as the men or better. The issue is so serious and women have to be super creative in landing contracts. Faber (2016) tells the story of two women who own a construction company with a male name. Asked why the name, they simply answered they wanted it to sound male. With the increase in the number of successful women in trade jobs, it should be proof enough that women are competent.

Women are reluctant to join trade jobs since as much as they may show interest in them, they may lack the slightest knowledge on where or how to start as role models are scarce. However as more and more women join the industry, other women are inspired to join the industry.

The women in trades are mentoring other women and even girls to take up technical training. Trade skills do not require a college degree; simple apprenticeship is enough to pass on the desired skills. Initiatives such as that by

Women in Trades Training (WITT) is ensuring more women complete training in non-traditional careers to become certified plumbers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators among others.

Mentorship plays a critical role in the success of women apprentices. Women feel that lack of exposure, lack of awareness and lack of encouragement are factors responsible for the low number of women in trades.

There are many scary stories about being a woman in a male-dominated industry. Women new in the industry need women who have made it to mentor them, to go to whenever they have a question, a problem or when they just need a word of encouragement.

Mentorship does not come from fellow women only, other sectors are also contributing in mentoring women in trades. Outreach efforts by government agencies are opening up blue collar work up for women. The 2011 initiative by the Department of transport is one example.

Besides, the challenges women are finding job satisfaction and good pay in the skilled trades. Once women in trades are hired for a particular task they deliver perfect results and as result get hired again and again. Women take their jobs seriously this coupled with the fact that their skills are doubted a lot, the have to be right, right on time and right by doing a flawless job. In return, the women receive a higher pay for a job well done. Women in blue collar jobs are better paid compared to women in high pay white collar jobs (Huang, 2016). Apart from the monetary rewards, women in the blue-collar jobs are satisfied that they did not throw their dreams out of the window.

Despite all these obstacles, women are constantly proving

their worth. Women are really confirming they are no less than their male counterparts. Women should take advantage of economic pressures, financial incentives and demand for skilled workers to set their footing in male-dominated careers.

References

  1. Bader E. J. (2012). Skilled women break through barriers to entry and promotion in trades work. Truthout report. www.truth-out.org/new/...
  2. Faber R. (2016). Thinking pink and profiting: women in trades capitalize on gender. www.macleans.ca/work/thinking...
  3. ITA report. Women in trade Training. Industrial Training Authority success story. www.itabc.ca/.../women-trades...
  4. Miller C. C. (2016). As women take over a male dominated field the pay drops. The New York Times, 18, March.
  5. Snyder M. (2012). Why Blue collar jobs are disappearing. Business insider.
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