'ABLE TO LEARN, WILLING TO LEARN'

STUDENT BREAKING BARRIERS AS APPRENTICE MECHANIC AT COLLINGWOOD DEALERSHIP

Kandice Purdy-Hicks carefully turns a brake rotor, noting the measurement on a dial indicator that measures within a thousandth of an inch.

If there's a difference of anything greater than two-one-thousandths of an inch between a high point and a low point of the rotor, she will need to remove it and machine it to bring it within the appropriate specifications.

It's all in a day's work for the Collingwood Collegiate co-op student, who will be graduating from high school this spring and is being taken on as an apprentice mechanic at Blue Mountain Chrysler.

Purdy-Hicks is a bit of rarity: not only is she a young woman who did a co-op placement in a non-traditional role, but she has also earned herself an apprenticeship right out of high school — an uncommon feat for any student, noted the dealership's service manager Adrian Sembay.

"She is our first female co-op student, and the first co-op student given an apprenticeship coming out of high school," Sembay said.

Simcoe County District School Board spokesperson Sarah Kekewich said the board is seeing increased participation by young women in skilled trades co-op placements through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and increased registration and participation in tech programs in schools.

That includes courses in construction, manufacturing and transportation.

"This year, there were close to 1,100 female secondary school students enrolled in trades and technology courses that have been historically under-represented by young women," she said. "OYAP promotes participation in the trades and encourages females to consider trades which are traditionally underrepresented by females."

Traditionally, about 10 per cent of registered apprentices through OYAP are young women, she said, and this year, approximately 20 per cent of OYAP participants are female.

Of the OYAP participants who have become registered apprentices this school year, six are young women in traditionally under-represented trades.

In Grade 11, Purdy-Hicks, who is from Wasaga Beach, looked at a co-op placement in the agricultural industry, but switched halfway through her first year in the program.

"It wasn't quite the right fit," PurdyHicks said. "My teacher mentioned the idea of going into mechanics ... Specifically as a woman, this is definitely doing something outside the box."

She found she enjoyed the trade, and "it's hands-on learning instead of sitting in the classroom."

The apprenticeship program is four years, or approximately 6,500 to 7,000 hours, after which she will be certified as an automotive service technician.

As a student, both in co-op and now as an apprentice, Purdy-Hicks will be assigned to work with a technician who will provide training and oversight. Even as a co-op student, she was doing oil changes, tire rotations, brakework, general repairs and learning how to use the computer as a diagnostic tool.

"That's part of the program; (the school) doesn't want us to just have her push a broom or do cleanup, they want them to get their hands dirty," Sembay said.

Sembay said an apprenticeship offer is based on the individual's experience, knowledge and skills, and noted PurdyHicks has exceptional ambition.

"It's tough to get a student who is motivated to get into the trades, who already knows what they want," Sembay said. "Most people go to college or university to figure things out and go from there.

"Her mentality, even before the co-op, was 'I want to work in automotive, I don't want to waste my time and the dealership's time, I'm motivated to get an apprenticeship'."

Her advice for young women considering a career as a mechanic? Have "tough skin" and learn to take criticism and feedback.

"It's OK to make mistakes and learn from them, because you can't come out of high school being perfect," she said. "It's not just not even about the knowledge level, it's literally about being able to learn, willing to learn."

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Simcoe.com learned about Kandice PurdyHicks and her acceptance as an apprentice mechanic, and decided to follow up.