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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-03-26, Page 21Commu n it� • Entertainment • Features • Religion • Family • More SECTION Women in non-traditional jobs BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK If, women want to earn more than the nghtum wage in Huron County, they want to consider entering non- traditional jobs. But, they should be warn- ed that they'll probably have to be twice as good as any man doing the same job to suc- ceed. Non-traditional jobs, those which employ less than 33 per cent women, in- clude anything from skilled labor such as welders and machinists to computer pro- grammers to university professors. They are jobs which usually pay more than traditionally female jobs such as clerical work, wditressing, child care and sales clerking. "We don't see a lot of women going into non-traditional fobs but we see more and more women who are curious about them and that's the first step. And, we sure don't see many men going into traditionally women's jobs," says Susan Worsell, of the Goderich Employment Centre. Worsell says the employment centre en- courages women to look at all their employment options. Non-traditional jobs often improve the employability and the wage capacity of women, she says. Though there are always plenty of job openings for cleaners, babysitters, strawberry pickers and waitress, the average wage of $4 to $5 an hour ($11,000 to $14,500 annually ) is prohibitive especially when the poverty level in small towns with populations less than 30,000 was $15,333 for a family of four in 1985. But, entering non-traditional jobs has several obstacles especially in Huron County. Women looking into non-traditional employment are often those who are tired of living on mother's allowance or earning minimum wage. They' usually support children and need more education and training which is generally available only outside the county. "Once women discover they must take full-time training outside the county and need to make child care arrangements, that's' usually the end of non-traditional employment, unfortunately," says Worsell. Tuition costs are covered by the'employ- ment centre if training is arranged through the centre and child care and • training allowances are also available. Women can also collect unemployment in- surance if they're eligible. "None of the programs cover all the costs but they help to offset them. Finances are still a,concern to anyone con- sidering training, though," she says. C.ourses offered at both Fanshawe Col- lege in London -and Conestoga College in Kitchener and Stratford train women for non-traditional jobs. INTO or Introductidn to Non -Traditional Occupations is an eight week course geared to women who want to -know more about non-traditional employemnt. It gives hands-on exposure to several jobs and offers training in assertiveness, leadership and financial management. Women Into Trades and Technology is an 18 week course which provides classroom, shop and work placement ex- periences in the skilled trades and technological fields. It is only available at Fanshawe College. Sheila Chick, of R112 Goderich, taught the, INTO program at Fanshawe for three years. She says women who've taken the course are usually in a financially difficult situation and have little choice but to pur- sue non-traditional employment. "If the cushion r of a comfortable mar- riage) is there, women don't usually go in- ' to non-traditional employment," she says. But, once they do, women discover they can be quite good at it, especially in machine shop and welding where they ex- cel at the necessary hand—eye coordina- tion. Overcoming math anxiety, a common affliction of women who think they can't do math, is a great boost for their self- esteem. Also, WenDo or self-defence classes for women offered, in the class give them a feeling for their own strength. "Some women had to prove they could take two 40 pound 'cinder blocks down a ladder. Others found it took a lot of courage to go into all male classes during night shifts and put up with the cat calls and wolf whistles. A lot of ,the course is • geared to rnentally thinking you're strong,"says Chick. Though high school girls are being pass- ed the . message that they should think about their future careers since they'll probably be working at least 30 of their adult years, Most women don't discover non-traditional employment until they're adults. "Quite often you're alot smarter as an adult than as a teenager. A lot of girls seem to be looking for an easier row to hoe but end up paying a greater price when their marriage fails," she says. And, despite the option existing, they're still in the pioneering stages with non- traditional work. Once they finish the training, there are no guarantees, that jobs will be waiting for them. "Women have to be extremely suc- cessful in the'jobs to open up the field for other women.They have la be twice as good as the : and that's a lot of pressure to put on a " ker," she says. Pat MacRae, of Dublin is the only woman taking a carpentry course through Conestoga College in Seaforth. Though she says she'd like nothing more than to be able to don her s'ieel-toed boots and tool belt', in the morning to go .to a carpentry job, she's not sure,the right op- portunity exists for her in Huron County. Even her instructor, Walter Arines, nF Seaforth admits that dvhile affirmative ac- tion is promoted by carpentry unions, MacRae would probably have a harder time finding a job than the other 10 men Tien to page 2 r .1�.✓���,2"D iii is Pat MacRae is the only woman taking a carpentry course in Seaforth through Conestoga College, one of the, training courses available to women who would like to enter non- traditional employent. Though she's not sure if she's become a carpenter. she'll use the skills she learned to renovate her old house in Dublin. I photo by Susan Hlrndertmark A POSTSCRIPT By Susan Hundertmark Empathizer is too much of a good thing non -tri. more and t Women, at work it smileotte told Pat MacRae bef ire she i strolled in a earpt'tiiry course ite `eatorth that she'd be able to build a saw horse, she wouldn't have believed hies. Through the course. she's realized she eau do anything any of the mei in the class e,an aceomplrsh in carpentry. t photo by Susant ll#undertmark.t '<y Tough, but dignified, with steely blue eyes, a man wearing a trench coat strides forcefully onto my TV screen. An ex -CIA agent, he's now using his ex- pertise as a modern day Robin Hood, tak- ing on rapists, murderers, bullies, the Mafia and various other bad guys to pto- tect the weak, the helpless, the frighten- ed and the persecuted. And, he's not above giving back with the same violence those bad guys used with their victims. He's the Equalizer, the ultimate pro- tector, the epitome of Hollywood manhood; a fatherly vigilante who makes the world a safe place again for decent people every Tuesday night on my TV. 'Though she doesn't have her own week- ly TV show, there's a heroine I know who's, just as strong as the Equalizer but is as stereotypically feminine as he is stereotypically masculine. While he uses his fists, his guns and his threats, she uses her broad shoulders, a steaming pot of tea, a box of Kleenex and tons of patient understanding. She is the Empathizer. She may have been a counsellor or a social worker and she's definitely so- meone's mother because her strongest . characteristic is her ability to nurture. She has kind, understanding eyes and arms strong enough to hold and comfort the whole world. She listens to the woes of the weak, the helpless, the frightened and the persecuted and takes responsibility for them. She hurts when they hurt. But, she doesn't ask the hard questions or pass judgement. She just listens and nods, and listens some more. She is the backbone of her f4lmily and the Mother Theresa of her neighborhood. She's the one strangers stop on the street to tell their problems to. And, just as every man is told to im- itate the Equalizer, every woman is ex- pected to be the Empathizer. When she visits her elderly aunt in the nursing home, referees duringfamily quarrels, understands when her husband comes home drunk again and : doctors . her children's scraped knees, every woman tries to be the Empathizer. I, know that I'm very susceptible to the Empathizer's example. I think it's im- portant to do your best to understand other people, help them out when you can and p athe peacemaker especially when tho around you seem to thrive on conflict an ' norance. But, as with all extremes, modelling yourself after the Empathizer can be a trap. And, I and»many other women I know have been ensnared in that trap more than once. By constantly giving of ourselves, we've been taken advantage of, sapped of our energy and left without enough positive strength to nurture ourselves. And, by being selfless, we've sometimes encouraged the peoptle we nurture to be dependent and selfish. The woman whose 25 -year-old son still comes home with a garbage bag full of dirty laundry has been trapped by the Empathizer. Sure, she's got enough work to do with the housework, her job and volunteer work three nights a week but she can undergtand how her son might not find the time to do his own laundry. So, she finds the time to do the few extra loads. • The Empathizer has also trapped the woman who always has time to listen to her friend's problems, the same pro- blemS he's had for the past 10 years. He doesn't seem to hear her words of advice and she suspects he's afraid of change but she's a good friend so she's always there to listen. But, she wishes he would listen when she has a problem"or two of her own. I agree with columnist Ellen Goodman when she says that never-ending em- pathy, instead of promoting change, can become a substitute for change. When describing the "Understanding Wonsan" she says, "I wonder whether she does the hard work and everyone around her stays flaccid..I wonder if understanding why things happen one way can't become a substitute for making them happen' another way." By becoming the Empathizer, a person can stop others around her from struggl- ing, growing and changing what's wrong in their lives. Instead, the Empathizer keeps those around her weak and needy. And, by being forever strong, the Em- pathizer discourages anyone else from developingher nurturing characteristics. So, when like all humans, she cracks under the; pressure of being eternally strong, there is no one there to help pick up the pieces. Just as the Equalizer represent masculine characteristics stretched t the extreme stereotype, the Empathize does the same with feminin characteristics. Consequently,. they ar caricatures,, of both, sexes, half people who cannot and should not exist in th real world. Both the Equalizer and the Empathizer have to share each other's strengths before they - become balanced and healthy human beings. 1,9