When 芬斯特拉Corissa's daughter had to construct a vehicle from a cardboard box for a school project, 她选择建造一台推土机. Clearly, she had inherited her mother's passion for heavy equipment. 然后, 当项目完成的时候, she announced that she wanted to become a heavy equipment mechanic.

她的母亲很高兴，但并不惊讶. "She passes me tools and is always following and listening,科里萨说。. “如果她想做，她会做的!"

Corissa, now a Product Support Representative at SMS设备公司. 圣堡. 约翰,B.C., had also acquired a passion for large machines at a young age. She had no illusions, however, that breaking into this male-dominated field would be easy.

"I knew what to expect going into a traditionally male-dominated trade and that I had to prepare myself mentally,科里萨说。. That mental preparation paid off when Corissa began her training in heavy equipment. "My instructors challenged me more as my confidence grew and my knowledge got better," she says.

Corissa started her career as a field mechanic in the heavy construction workforce and loved the work. 然而, 家里有三个孩子, she took the opportunity to move to her current role in product support.

“如果我的孩子生病了，我可以在这里，”她说. "It's still taking some getting used not to being out in the field, but I'm getting there!然而，科丽莎正着眼于未来. "I love what I do, but I can see myself transitioning into organizing the service side," she says. "I'm passionate about lining everything up to ensure customers get the best service possible."

改变态度

幸运的是 for Corissa's daughter, traditional gender barriers are gradually disappearing. “我们正走在一条非常积极的道路上,Karyn Tremblay说, 在Val-d'Or的SMS设备的零件主管, 魁北克. "More and more women can integrate into heavy construction industries naturally, especially at 韦德娱乐1946 - don't think we need to catalogue people. 我们已经度过了那个阶段."

然而，事情并不总是那么容易. Tremblay recalls some of the attitudes she had to deal with when she joined the company in the early 2000s.

"In the beginning, I often heard that parts and warehouse attendees should be men,Karyn说。. "Customers were used to being served by men and often felt more confident working with other men. So, I had to work twice as hard and felt I couldn't make any mistakes. 如果我做了, I knew the response would be 'a woman in that job; of course, 她不知道自己在做什么!'"

人们的态度从此改变了. "Times have changed, and the work environment has evolved,” explains Karyn. “另外，我所有的顾客现在都认识我了!"

对重型设备的热情似乎具有传染性. 娜塔莉·拉德, 谁加入SMS设备公司担任应付帐务文员, moved after five years into a product coordinator role supporting construction sales.

“我喜欢那份工作，”娜塔莉说. “我一直在学习不同的产品线, 新机器, 我们所迎合的行业, and our customers' unique applications for this impressive equipment."

Recently promoted to Supply Chain Manager for 韦德娱乐1946's Western Canada sales team, Natalie now has the opportunity to inspire others to follow in her footsteps. “我就在我应该在的地方，”她说.

性别多样性的力量

Removing barriers for women doesn't just prove that women can do what was previously categorized as a man's job – it also proves that women bring unique capabilities into these roles that make the workforce stronger and more resilient. In 2021, Entrepreneur Magazine cited survey findings revealing that companies that 73 percent of companies that practiced gender equality were more productive and profitable than their peers.

Karyn觉得她对细节的关注帮助她成功了. “如果有人向我要水泵, 我会打开我的角色手册, 定位部件, 验证模型, 检查每一个细节." This skill helped her build credibility as a trusted partner to her customers.

也, women who had to go the extra mile to overcome barriers are now great role models for women and anybody entering the heavy equipment trade. "I strive to lead and coach my team so that these individuals can advance in the company, 就像我有机会那样,Karyn说。. "I encourage them to become more self-sufficient and research solutions on their own."

Corissa has a message for women considering a career in heavy equipment. “不要放弃，”她说. "You can do whatever you set your mind to, and other women like me are always here to help."

这些鼓舞人心的故事展示了多样性的力量