Role Model Videos: Career Options for Women -- Automotive

The “Career Options for Women: Emerging Opportunities” videos introduce your female students to high-wage careers in traditionally male-dominated occupations. Each program reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women in technology and trades occupations, and sends the all-important message to women and girls that the sky is the limit!

Automotive

This 24 minute video features profiles of three women who have embarked on careers in the automotive industry.

• Linda Simon, a former hairdresser-turned-truck driver
• Brenda McWilliams, an autobody technician
• Danuta Wozniak, a third-year apprentice auto mechanic in a woman-owned shop

Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.

Developed in 2006, the Career Options for Women series is an outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to science, technology and trades.

Note: These videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States. As there is a no-return policy on these publications, please make sure to look at the preview video clip for the DVD(s) you are ordering.

Linda -- Truck Driver

Linda Simon works as a truck driver for Mantei's Transport, hauling fuel to service stations within the Edmonton area but also to some highway points. She often starts very early in the morning, arriving at work around 5 a.m.

What Linda enjoys most about trucking is the beauty of watching the sun rise every morning and the friendly staff that she sees every day at the refinery and stops. She also loves the familiarity of the job, because it's something that her father once did as well.

Linda admits that weather and road conditions can sometimes be frustrating, but she simply slows down during rough times. Truck drivers spend most of their time outside, so they have to be prepared for anything.

Linda graduated from high school with a Rutherford Scholarship. She then went on to take a hairdressing course. After working as a hairdresser for a couple years, she finally decided to pursue trucking as a career.

Linda believes that nowadays there is a more professional approach to being a truck driver. In general, there's a push for better education, truck simulators and driver awareness training. Linda encourages other women to try truck driving as a career.

Brenda -- Autobody Technician

Brenda McWilliams works in an autobody shop. Her role is to check over the damaged area of a vehicle after the major body repair work is done. Then she sands and preps the vehicle for painting.

Brenda finds her job as an autobody technician rewarding because of the instant gratification that it brings. When asked about it, she said, "Most people, if they saw their car in the process of being fixed, would be horrified. I get to see it go from a wrecked car to being a brand new car again. That's a great feeling!" She also likes the job because she considers herself a 'hands-on' person.

According to Brenda, the first year level of apprenticeship earns just slightly better than minimum wage. Then with additional schooling, you can earn more, depending on skill level. Depending on the shop, sometimes there are benefits like medical and dental. It is a very mobile trade and people tend to move from shop to shop, looking for a better salary or benefits.

On the weekends, Brenda works at her mother’s dress shop, where she enjoys the break from wearing coveralls every day!

Danuta -- Auto Mechanic

Danuta Wozniak is a 3rd year apprentice auto mechanic at a woman-owned, autobody shop, la Cle de Contact. She repairs and services autos, writes out estimates and helps her clients understand the terms people use in mechanics.

Mechanics is a career that Danuta finds very interesting and enjoys a great deal. She loves working with the public, making clients feel at ease, and giving them total confidence in her ability to serve them the right way.

Danuta’s boss discusses running a woman-owned shop. She says that a week after opening, there was already a 3-week waitlist for people to bring in their cars for repair. The video also discusses how the introduction of electric cars and electric/gas hybrid engines is creating new areas for mechanics.