Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the
automotive industry. This program
profiles Linda Simon, a former
hairdresser turned truck driver;
Brenda McWilliams, an autobody
technician; and Danuta Wozniak, a
third-year apprentice auto
mechanic in a
woman-owned shop.
Remarks from co-workers and
supervisors provide additional
layers to the descriptions of each job. View a preview video clip and read below
for descriptions of each segment, or scroll to the bottom to order!
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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.
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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!
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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.
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
Click to Return to Full DVD List
Developed in 2006 in Canada, the Career Options for Women series is an
outstanding resource for schools wanting to attract women and girls to Science,
Technology and Trades!
Please Note: These videos are an excellent depiction of women in these jobs
and 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.
Pricing - Career Options for Women: Emerging Technologies DVDs
