Meet three women who have
embarked on careers in the
protective services industry. This
program profiles Capt. Jamie
Speiser, a Griffon helicopter pilot
who has flown missions in Bosnia
and Haiti; Sylvie Nault, a Royal
Canadian Mounted Police constable;
and Shauna Vollmer, a fire
protection designer working for a
large fire prevention contractor. 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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Jamie Speiser is a captain in the Air Force.
She joined the military because she
wanted the opportunity to help others,
primarily through peacekeeping efforts
and now flies Griffon helicopters and
serves as an information systems officer
and squadron harassment officer. As a
helicopter pilot, her main role is to support
the army. The army has mission requests - including troop and cargo transport,
reconnaissance, command and liaison (liaison between units), and medical
evacuations. Missions can be tactical (into enemy territory) but are mostly
utility missions (administrative - peace-time work). Jamie has flown assistance
on the Saguenay floods and Ice Storm ‘98. She has also been to Bosnia and
Haiti.
Jamie went to the Royal Military College in Kingston and acquired a Bachelors
degree in computer engineering in 1994. After university, she took pilot training
at Shearwater, Nova Scotia and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, flying small jets
and then helicopters. Jamie received her wings in Portage La Prairie in 1996.
Jamie has often wondered why there aren t
more women in the military. Her theory is
that women generally aren't aware that the
military is open to them. She believes that
the military is a great career for those who
seek challenges, travel, adventure, and a
way to test personal limits. The military may
seem intimidating to women, but to Jamie, it
seemed exciting. She admits it requires hard
work but you get a free education and are
paid while you go to school!
If Jamie switched to a civilian life, she could become an engineer. As an officer,
she has also acquired managerial skills that could be applied in the private
sector. As a pilot though, she would have a pay drop in civilian life, and then
have to work her way up again. The career potential is also unlimited.
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Sylvie Nault is a general duty constable
for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP). She responds to 911 and service
calls from the public. Constables do
pretty much anything - from dealing with
barking dogs to armed robberies.
After graduating from high school, Sylvie
went to college. She is only a few courses short of degrees in Physical
Education, Physiotherapy and Criminology. While the RCMP only requires
prospective recruits to have only a high school diploma, a post-secondary
schooling would help your chances of being recruited.
There are a number of rewards with this job. Sylvie says, “I would have to
honestly say when you bring someone to justice…it’s cliché, but it's hoping that
you've made a difference. Plus, in the job, you have a lot of freedom…you're
part of a team but you still work independently.”
The number of women in the force is
increasing rapidly. For example, the next five
recruits that will be arriving in Sylvie's
detachment are all women. RCMP start off as
constables and then go to Corporal, Sergeant,
Staff Sergeant, and then Inspector. Many
officers that leave the force become
investigators or security advisors in the
private sector.
“I would encourage anyone who wants to do this. It is challenging and nontraditional.
You should stay fit and stay focused on your goals.”
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Shauna Vollmer is a fire protection
designer for Vipond Fire Protection.
Shauna's interest in fire protection was
first sparked when three kids from her
community were injured in a fire. Today,
Shauna designs protection systems for
structures ranging from small apartment
buildings to large industrial complexes.
What continues to motivate her is a burning desire to ensure that no-one
suffers from the devastating effects of a fire.
She is presently a Service Manager, and her job entails providing a large
customer base with emergency service, inspections, maintenance and
alterations to their fire protection systems as per their individual needs. She
schedules crews of technicians and provides both the technicians and customers
with technical fire code support.
Shauna took a two-year diploma program in Engineering Design and Drafting
Technology at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Fifteen percent
of the students were women in her program.
In Shauna's job, the work is very fast paced
with a high volume of jobs ongoing at any
given time. There are no breaks between jobs
and therefore no time to reorganize, clean up
paperwork or take a breather before the next
project starts. She is also on call with a pager
and cell phone 24 hours a day -- and that
takes some getting used to at first.
Although her fire protection skills are pretty specific and possibly limiting,
Shauna still believes that there are other opportunities in research, consulting
and education (both technical and public). She also knows that she always has
her design and computer drafting skills to fall back on that could lead her into
other types of work in the future.
Click the image to the left
for a preview video clip!
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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
