Articles of the Month

Bridging the Gap: Women in Non-traditional Jobs

The labour market is undergoing major changes, and occupations with the best job prospects tend to be in career fields that are considered to be non-traditional for women. Engineering jobs, careers in processing raw materials, the aerospace industry and many other occupational areas offer very good placement opportunities once the prerequisite training has been completed.

First we need to define non-traditional. A non-traditional job for women is one where they account for only 33% of the workforce. Of course, over the years, more and more women have been working in non-traditional fields, yet despite this upward trend, there are still too few women who are willing to try their hand at non-traditional jobs, which is a pity.

There are many factors that could create good incentives for women to break with social convention and finally bridge the gap in non-traditional occupations. Changing attitudes have enabled women to cut loose from patriarchal tradition and make career choices based on their needs as family heads. Moreover, the aging population will soon be providing opportunities for the population in general, and for women, this means an opportunity to work in occupational fields traditionally reserved for men.

Given that these jobs require specialized training, and that a shortage of skilled labour is making it easier for graduates to find jobs, these occupational fields are open to all women who are interested in careers that are not only non-traditional, but stimulating in that they provide an opportunity for rewarding new experiences.

From this perspective, the women of today and tomorrow will have to take charge of their careers and redress the imbalance on the labour market, which all too often favours men in traditionally male jobs.

This article has been provided by Youth Café - A Service Canada Access Centre located in downtown Montreal that offers youth the necessary tools for a full and active social participation, all in one place.

The Café's mission is to offer better access to information, services, programs and ressources from most federal departments as well as the Youth Employment Strategy.

We ecourage you to visit Youth Café next time you are in Montreal or visit a Service Canada Access Centre near you.