Role Model Videos
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Three dynamic women who have staked out successful careers in the adventure tourism industry will inspire your female students to explore new career pathways.Female role models help get this career on the radar of women and girls because they’re able to see someone who looks like them on the job. The video reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women working in this field. Adventure tourism and related industries employ millions of people. Increasing numbers of women are establishing rewarding careers in this traditionally male-dominated field. |
Career Options for Women -- Adventure Tourism:
This 24-minute video features profiles of three women with successful careers in adventure tourism:
- Diny Harrison, a certified mountain guide with experience in Italy, Switzerland, and other countries
- Mylène Pronovost, a dog sled musher and outdoor activities instructor
- Marie-Josée Blanchette, an ecotourism development agent who plans and guides wilderness tours
Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.
Meet the role models featured in the Adventure Tourism video:
Diny: Mountain Guide
Diny Harrison is as comfortable climbing up a mountain as she is racing down one. She is an internationally certified mountain guide.
Diny also works as an assistant manager in her company, making sure everything goes according to plan. Diny shares in her clients' joy as they go places they've never been and see things they've never seen.
Mountain Guide Diny has a mountain of experience to offer her clients and is super fit for her job, both physically and mentally. For her, scaling mountains is a walk in the park. “Being a mountain guide is a great way of life. You get the opportunity to be in the outdoors all the time, doing what you really love to do.”
Mylène: Dogsled Musher
Mylène Pronovost is what you would call a guide of all trades. In the winter time she's a dogsled musher.
The company Mylène works for, L'Univers du traîneau à chien, has over a hundred dogs for their winter dogsledding tours and offers other outdoor activities in the warmer season.
Mountain Guide Mylène keeps a full slate of projects, starting with being a canoe guide during the summer. She'll be checking out the parks and rivers in Western Canada, then perhaps moving to South America to work as a guide. For Mylène, being a dogsled musher is more play than work.
Marie-Josée: Eco-tourism
Marie-Josée Blanchette is an eco-tourism development agent for a group of fishing and hunting tour operators. She plans ecotours targeted at people who'd rather enjoy nature and learn from it, than bag the big one.
Chickadees, thrushes, ospreys, robins and Northern gannets - Marie-Josée introduces her customers to all of them. Birds are just one facet of research she does to ensure that her customers’ visit is enjoyable and a great learning experience.
Eco-tourism Agent Marie-Josée is passionate about her job. She believes it takes true love of nature to be a good wilderness guide. Marie-Josée does a lot of research on the local fauna for her work and she is happy to share her knowledge with tourists.
Video details:
Run time: 24 minutes total, including three segments of approximately 8 minutes each.
Format: DVD. Closed-captioned.
Year: 2006
Note: Videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States.
Policies: There is a no-return policy on these videos.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, Two-Year College, Four-Year University
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Three dynamic women who have staked out successful careers in the agriculture industry will inspire your female students to explore new career pathways.Female role models help get this career on the radar of women and girls because they’re able to see someone who looks like them on the job. The video reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women working in this field. Agriculture and related industries employ millions of people. Increasing numbers of women are establishing rewarding careers in the traditionally male-dominated agriculture field. |
Career Options for Women -- Agriculture:
This 24-minute video features profiles of three women with successful careers in agriculture:
- Deanna Johnson, a marketing representative who assists and makes purchases from grain producers
- Julie Couillard, a production coordinator who manages soil preparation, seeding, watering, and fertilization for an organic vegetable farm.
- Valérie Houle, a dairy farmer
Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.
Meet the role models featured in the Agriculture video:
Deanna: Marketing Representative
Sometimes one’s career choice is ingrained from an early age. For farm marketing representative Deanna Johnson, it was a natural. She came from a community with only two major industries, oil and farming. After high school Deanna worked in the agriculture industry for seven years. Eventually, it became clear that in order to get a good, stable job, she would need to enhance her education with a college diploma.
While Deanna didn’t have a strong farming background, she really liked people in the agriculture industry and that was enough for her. Now Deanna enjoys a challenging and rewarding position with Cargill AgHorizons, buying grain from farmers.
A farm marketing representative can make a great living, depending on experience and where you work. Deanna works a regular 40 hour work week, but the busy harvest season often requires more hours.
She finds going out on site and interacting with the growers themselves is one of the most satisfying parts of her job. Good interpersonal skills are also key to success in her position. “Other women would like this job because it’s a challenging position. There’s satisfaction at the end of the day and every day is different.”
Julie: Production Coordinator
Julie Couillard is a production coordinator for an organic vegetable farm. Julie does everything from preparing the soil and sowing the seeds to watering and fertilization. She also packages and ships the final product to the customer.
The farm is operated on the basis of Community Sustainable Agriculture (CSA). People help fund the farm activities and in return, are provided with organic vegetables on a weekly basis.
Julie likes her job because it allows her to spend her days outdoors. She currently makes minimum wage and says the only way to make more is to stay with the same employer for a long time. Her skills can be used in other areas of the industry such as in greenhouses, nurseries and other farms. Julie, however, likes her job and wants to remain in organic agriculture. “I like what I do now because I’m a strong believer in ecological agriculture.”
Growing organically can be a challenge without the usual pesticides to protect the crops. Julie monitors her vegetables closely to make sure they are getting everything they need to grow and prosper.
Julie’s days are between eight to ten hours, depending on the season. When she takes time out from her farming day, Julie still likes to be close to nature.
Valérie: Dairy Farmer
In spite of all the technological advances the industry has seen, farming is still deeply rooted in nature. This aspect is what drew Valérie Houle towards a career in agriculture. She was looking for work where she could connect with nature and experience the seasons. Her job as a dairy farmer met all her expectations.
Valérie is responsible for all aspects of her cows. But it's the genetics part of her work that especially fascinates her. She is in charge of artificial insemination. She firmly believes that the secret to increased milk production lies in improved genetics. “The big challenge in my work is to achieve good results with animals. Animals don't talk so they can't tell you if they have problems. I have to figure it out.”
Valérie is aware of the lingering notions by some in the industry that women don't have the physical strength to do the job. It's simply not the case, especially with the modern equipment. But you still have to be in shape and in good health. Valérie spends the best part of the day on her feet, going from one task to another -- no coffee breaks!
Valérie knows that women have always been involved in agriculture but it's only now that women are taking their place as fully-paid workers, partners and even owners of agricultural enterprises. This is certainly a break with tradition and one that Valérie hopes will encourage more and more women to take their place in this field.
Video details:
Run time: 24 minutes total, including three segments of approximately 8 minutes each.
Format: DVD. Closed-captioned.
Year: 2006
Note: Videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States.
Policies: There is a no-return policy on these videos.
Grade Level: Middle School, High School, Two-Year College, Four-Year University
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Three dynamic women who have staked out successful careers in the automotive industry will inspire your female students to explore new career pathways.Female role models help get this career on the radar of women and girls because they’re able to see someone who looks like them on the job. The video reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women working in this field. Automotive and related industries employ millions of people. Increasing numbers of women are establishing rewarding careers in the traditionally male-dominated automotive field. |
Career Options for Women -- 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.
Meet the role models featured in the Automotive video:
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.
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 cars, writes out estimates and helps her clients understand the terms people use in automotive technology.
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.
Video details:
Run time: 24 minutes total, including three segments of approximately 8 minutes each.
Format: DVD. Closed-captioned.
Year: 2006
Note: Videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States.
Policies: There is a no-return policy on these videos.
Grade level: Middle School, High School, Two-Year College, Four-Year University
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Three dynamic women who have staked out successful careers in the aquaculture industry will inspire your female students to explore new career pathways.Female role models help get this career on the radar of women and girls because they’re able to see someone who looks like them on the job. This video reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women working in this field. Aquaculture and related industries employ millions of people. Increasing numbers of women are establishing rewarding careers in the traditionally male-dominated aquaculture field. |
Career Options for Women -- Aquaculture:
This 24 minute video features profiles of three women who have embarked on careers in the aquaculture industry (also known as aquafarming.)
- Sondra Lambie, a nursery technician who cultivates large shellfish crops
- Camille Wiencke, a fish health technician who cares for farm-raised Chinook salmon
- Nancy Émard, a trout farm owner who sells about 100,000 fish annually
Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.
Meet the role models featured in the aquaculture video:
Sondra: Nursery Technician
When nursery technician Sondra Lambie was growing up, she did a lot of fishing and camping with her Dad and really enjoyed the outdoors. She also tended to be the messiest kid in the family. This was her "informal training" for the work at Island Scallops, where Sondra nurtures a variety of shellfish until they're ready to go out to farm sites. There's a lot of hands-on work; it can get quite messy and really wet.
Sondra gained her first experience in aquaculture while still in high school. There, she was a member of the salmon enhancement club which sparked her interest in a career in aquaculture. “I love the fact that I get to raise animals, I like looking under the microscope and seeing these live things, this life that I am basically creating and nurturing along."
Sondra loves working in aquaculture because of the beautiful rural areas it puts her in. She lives right by the ocean and her “backyard is endless.”
Camille: Fish Health Technician
While going to work for some people can involve traffic jams and parking problems, that's not the case for fish health technician Camille Wiencke. She goes to work by boat.
Camille's job is to look after the health of the Chinook salmon at a fish farm. Camille doesn't actually treat the fish - that's a veterinarian's job - but she monitors and checks the salmon regularly to make sure that there are no problems. “Don't think that going to school will teach you everything. Make sure that you try to spend a couple of months on a farm.”
Aquaculture has given Camille an opportunity to travel and gain international work experience. She has been exposed to many different species in France, Scotland, New Zealand, Turkey and now in Canada.
Camille really enjoys the diversity of her job. She spends a lot of time working outside in the fresh air. However, when the west coast becomes the "wet coast", Camille's indoor tasks are a welcome diversion.
Nancy Émard: Trout Farm Owner
Trout farm owner Nancy Émard sells about a hundred thousand fish every year, mostly to sports fishing outfitters who charge the public to fish in their lakes. Running a successful trout farm is no small accomplishment. Nancy chops the wood to heat the building where her stock is raised, feeds the fish in the ponds year round and monitors their health, then harvests and delivers the final product and deals with all related business matters as well.
Nancy runs the farm by herself. In winter, she usually works 10 hours a day, but in summer, her days can be as long as 18 hours. Any time of the day or night, she has to be ready to respond to anything that goes wrong. There can be very little time between fixing a problem and losing an entire pond of fish.
Fish don't talk, but Nancy understands what they need or want just by looking at them. She gets a real sense of accomplishment raising trout and customer satisfaction is her biggest reward. “Working on a fish farm is a lifestyle. It's a quiet life, but it's a busy life.”
Video details:
Run time: 24 minutes total, including three segments of approximately 8 minutes each.
Format: DVD. Closed-captioned.
Year: 2006
Note: Videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States.
Policies: There is a no-return policy on these videos.
Grade level: Middle School, High School, Two-Year College, Four-Year University
Video Clip: |
Three dynamic women who have staked out successful careers in the aviation industry will inspire your female students to explore new career pathways.Female role models help get this career on the radar of women and girls because they’re able to see someone who looks like them on the job. The video reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful women working in this field. Aviation and related industries employ millions of people. Increasing numbers of women are establishing rewarding careers in the traditionally male-dominated aviation field. |
Career Options for Women -- Aviation:
This 24-minute video features profiles of three women with successful careers in aviation:
- Captain Tanya Sprathoff, pilot and crew commander of an Aurora CP-140
- Isabelle Marsan, an aircraft mechanic who maintains and repairs internal systems on airliners
- Dawn Patterson, a bartender-turned-aircraft structures mechanic responsible for aircraft inspection and repair
Additional information from co-workers and supervisors supplements each job profile.
Meet the role models featured in the Aviation video:
Tanya: Pilot and Crew Commander
“I turned 18 at an air cadet boot camp. The next day, I went to the recruiting center and told them what my dream was.” Tanya flies one of Canada's Maritime patrol aircraft, which is an Aurora CP-140. She is a crew commander, and leads a team of 13 personnel. Her missions involve antisubmarine warfare, patrolling and enforcing Canada's 200-mile fishing limit, surface surveillance and monitoring of Maritime shipping traffic, and watching over the Arctic for sovereignty control. She also participates in search and rescue operations.
It's a life that she enjoys. It brings together her love of flying, and other challenges such as the strategic thinking required in anti-submarine warfare. In addition, she appreciates working with a high-caliber, professional crew of people.
After completing high school, she continued her education at Royal Roads in Victoria, and then went on to the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston where she earned a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering. Although it is unnecessary to have a university degree to be a commercial pilot, she says a degree is required to fly and be an officer in the military.
Tanya finds that the military provides encouragement for people to move ahead, get promoted, and move around. Postings to different national locations and places overseas are possible. Regardless of locale, however, the same standard benefits available to all personnel apply.
Isabelle: Aircraft Mechanic
Isabelle Marsan is the third woman to be hired as an aircraft mechanic at the airline for which she works. She works on all systems of commercial airplanes: flight controls, hydraulic systems, landing gear, engines (exterior only), pressurization systems, security systems, and fuel tanks. Eventually, when she becomes licensed, she will be assigned specific systems to work on and take responsibility for.
Isabelle has also done sheet metal work and finds her job as an aircraft mechanic physically more demanding, since it involves both carrying and installing parts. Isabelle finds her work mentally stimulating because the job requires her to learn every system on the plane.
In terms of advancement within the airline company, an aircraft mechanic can eventually become a foreman, inspector, or accident investigator, to name a few opportunities. The salary for an aircraft mechanic can vary from company to company. Since her company is unionized, Isabelle says that the pay is good there compared to a company that maintains smaller aircrafts. For Isabelle, the field of aviation is very interesting. She feels it presents wonderful new opportunities for women who enjoy mechanics, manual labor and technical knowledge.
Dawn: Aircraft Structures Mechanic
For Dawn Patterson, the best part about being an Aircraft Structures Mechanic is the hands-on work. She looks for corrosion on the planes, does inspections, removes damaged parts and does sheet metal repairs. A lot of her job involves fabricating of parts and riveting. There are many tools required and a variety of aircraft to work on.
Prior to this career, Dawn worked in bars as a server, bartender, and restaurant manager. She did a job shadow as part of a technical school course and found a hidden interest in mechanical work. After completing a 2 year technical school program, she was hired into her current position. “I did a job shadow and was really interested in the aircraft industry. They remembered me two years later when I came back with my resume.”
The benefit to having a license - in addition to higher pay - is that a mechanic can basically work anywhere in the world. One of Dawn's co-workers spends four months working on helicopters internationally in the oil industry.
Video details:
Run time: 24 minutes total, including three segments of approximately 8 minutes each.
Format: DVD. Closed-captioned.
Year: 2006
Note: Videos are interspersed with Canadian salary and labor statistics, which are similar to the numbers in the United States.
Policies: There is a no-return policy on these videos.
Grade level: Middle School, High School, Two-Year College, Four-Year University
The WomenTech Educators Training got us thinking intentionally about who we were going to target for outreach, how we were going to target them, and how we would follow up to make sure we had actual results linked to the different programs and events that we were holding. Since then, it has grown organically and blossomed into something that our college just does naturally.
I think getting together as a team with intention—because we're all so busy—and developing a written plan that we could stick to was what made all the difference. I don’t think we would have ever done that if it wasn't for the WomenTech Educators Training.