Trades at any age: teaching through reading

Engaging young people in the trades is something that fabricators and welders try to do through school outreach in events like the annual skills competitions. But Jamie McMillan and Pat Williams believe we can do much more to educate even younger people about these career opportunities. For that reason, they launched KickAss Careers in 2014. This organization sends ambassadors into schools and provides speakers for events at which they promote careers in mechanical, industrial, technology, and construction work.

McMillan has worked as a journeyman ironworker in Canada since 2002 and began promoting the trades a few years later when she recognized that more students should be encouraged to pursue work in the industry the way that she was driven to.

Williams worked as a stationary operating engineer for 32 years in the U.S. before retiring and dedicating herself full-time to trade advocacy.

Although the two have been getting the word out about the trades effectively for more than four years now under the KickAss Careers banner, McMillan kept on being told that as a professional speaker she needed a book to promote her message.

“I had no interest in writing an autobiography,” said McMillan. “But Pat mentioned interest in creating an updated version of the skilled trades colouring book created by Tradeswomen Inc. in 1986. The book educated children about the importance of skilled trades through fun cartoon images. That was something that appealed to me.”

In 2016 Williams and McMillan called on Finn “Stovepipe” Pette, a professional artist friend of Williams’ (who is also a millwright), to help out. They each came up with a few different ideas but settled on Pette’s script. Pat and Jamie made a few changes and Pette did the artwork. In October 2018 All the Kids on Builder Street was created and is now in the process of being published.

“The point of the book is to introduce younger kids to all the different types of pathways available in the skilled trades,” said McMillan. “All told, 18 trades are recognized in this first book. We intend to publish one book every year for five years, and each will represent another 18 trades. The first book includes representation of at least two welding shields. But we plan to extend its reach into sectors like mining, forestry, and nuclear as well – anything that’s hands-on employment from apprenticeship to management.”

The book has kids talking about all their family members who work in different trades. The message is that knowing all these people helps them understand how everything is made. It is written in English, Spanish, and French.

Thus far, McMillan says, it’s been very well-received.

“The book is aimed at kids from kindergarten to grade, 8 but we’ve had adults buy it for themselves as well,” she said. “The point is that it’s never too young to educate kids about the opportunities they can find following a trades career path.”

The book can be ordered for $5 plus shipping in Canada through McMillan at jiw.life@gmail.com.

Editor Robert Colman can be reached at rcolman@canadianfabweld.com.