According to Lily Wynne, the key to personal success is all about sticking with the task — “putting in the hours,” as she puts it.
But Wynne, a student in Sault College’s Electrical Apprentice program, didn’t see herself as someone who’d be putting in those long hours and honing her craft in the trades.
In her hometown of Peterborough, she tried her hand at a few professions. She logged time in customer service and retail, then moved to the Soo where she took a brief stint as a receptionist at H&R Block, followed by a landscaping gig in the summer.
“I was feeling like I was just wasting my talent,” she said. “Working hard at an average job for a minimum wage. And I knew I could have been doing more.”
Eventually, she enrolled in Sault College’s Aviation program. A career in the skies, Wynne believed at the time, would provide her with enjoyment, a healthy paycheque and plenty of opportunities.
COVID-19 had other plans, however. And Wynne found herself among the thousands who were house-bound, trying to wade through online lessons in front of a computer screen.
“Like everyone, I was bored at home,” Wynne said.
The isolation gave her time to reflect and map out a new direction.
“When it was all done, I called the college to see what else they offered.”
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Wynne said she considers herself a “hands-on” type of student. Working in landscaping showed her that she had plenty of energy and creativity — and a willingness to get her hands dirty — perfect for putting in long hours and learning on the fly.
“I just love making something, or building something, and then just seeing it at the end,” she said. “It’s such a good feeling.”
An advisor with the college suggested the school’s offerings of pre-apprenticeship programs, which introduced learners to trades like electrical, welding and arborist.
Enrolling in the program would mean she would get quickly into practical lessons, not to mention she’d be earning money as she learned.
“My dad’s an electrician, so I thought, ‘Why not?’” Wynne said.
Her father, Wynne said, is an electrician at Algoma Steel. He encouraged her to sign on with the college as an electrical apprentice.
“He was the one kind of telling me to do it, because he loves it, and we're very much similar in the way we learn,” she said. “He said, ‘You'd probably love it, too.’”
She’s now studying for her Level 2 certifications, while working at Tenaris in the Soo. It’s one more big step in completing the journey of 9,000 hours as an apprentice to become a licensed electrician in Ontario.
“It's challenging,” she said. “It can be pretty hard sometimes. But I’ve just always liked to work and learn and ask questions. And now it’s all starting to click.”
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The days are busy, she said, adding that in a short period of time she’s already worked on several different projects at the facility. It’s a constant state of learning and applying those lessons in real time.
That includes “running cable” for the plant’s cranes, maintaining the system of conveyor lines, as well as working on the facility’s new arc furnace. Tenaris has also added a new lunch room for staff, which Wynne helped with.
“You just have to put in the work,” she said. “You actually have to be enthusiastic about learning electricity.”
The field comes with its ups and downs, she said. And learning on-site means every day it’s a new challenge, or a new set of questions to ask. A non-stop process, she said.
“It’s kind of overwhelming when you’re first doing it, but it will eventually click,” Wynne said. “But you've got to show you want to learn at work, and you have to ask questions, and try to figure out what's going on while you're doing it.”
There are also time constraints on the job, which add a bit more pressure to the learning process. But it also creates an environment, Wynne said, where eventually the day’s “simple stuff” becomes second nature.
As for her concerns about the workplace, or being the only woman in an industrial setting, Wynne said she had some apprehensions.
“I was scared when I first did it. I felt kind of isolated, because it’s the first time I ever worked with all guys,” she said.
“You're a female and they're, I don't know, a little bit standoffish at first,” she said. “Maybe they're trying to figure you out and see how you are. But after I kind of proved myself, showed that I like to work, that I wasn't gonna make anybody pick up my slack, I kind of gained their respect.”
And has her opinion of her male coworkers changed?
“They're awesome,” she said. “After you work there for a while, once you make friends you see that these guys have your back.
“After a while it feels like a family there, and everybody's just looking out for each other.”
Two Tenaris supervisors — Zane Harris and Todd Frayn — were especially supportive in her new role, she said.
“They are my favourite people,” she said. “They've just pushed me along, and they’ve been so encouraging … they make me feel comfortable, and that’s all I could ever want.”
The mentorship lessons have been so instrumental in making her journey a positive one that Wynne said she’d like to one day be in the same position as a role model to women entering the trades.
“Being a woman at all, it's fun in the trades,” she said. “But it's definitely hard on the body, and at some point I would love to teach.”
“Getting to that point obviously takes time,” she said. “I’d like to finish all my schooling, need work for four or five years, and then maybe consider becoming a teacher.”
The lessons — especially for women entering the field — would definitely be about sticking with it.
“I would want them to feel encouraged and supported,” she said. “I’d like to teach them in a way that makes them feel less anxious about everything.
“Maybe one day I could be in that position … and I would love to encourage them to follow through, even though it can seem difficult.”
