Breaking into trades

Only six per cent of construction workers are women and, with the Olympics coming, carpenter Kate Braid says now is the time to flood the industry

That number has grown only marginally over the years, despite B.C.'s booming construction industry, with its shortage of skilled workers and an increase in workers' salaries.

Annual earnings in trades and construction start at $50,000, climbing up to $250,000, says the BC Construction Association.

A women's studies professor at Simon Fraser University says her current research shows the proportion of women in trades and construction stands at 3.4 per cent, up from only one per cent more than 30 years ago.

LINK: Vancouver Sun