Congratulations to Support Ontario Youth mentor, Brandi Ferenc for receiving a CPKC Skilled Trades Award.
This award recognizes outstanding women who contribute immense value and demonstrate excellence in skilled trades, product or service innovation and community involvement.
Brandi Ferenc is a Red Seal 313a Refrigeration Mechanic/Gas Fitter 1 Journeyperson. She teaches HVAC at Georgian College and mentors women in skilled trades and HVAC apprentices at Support Ontario Youth. This year, she started her own business, Fair-Trades Toolbox, to work with skilled trades employers, industry leaders and government on how to properly on-board women into their male-dominated workforce to make it a seamless transition for all parties involved.
Most important career lesson: Time does not heal all wounds; those wounds leave scars, and if you truly want to advocate for change, you must find the strength to preserve and push forward, no matter how painful, and let the scars be a reminder that you are a warrior fighting for something bigger than yourself.
On what powerful means: It means to have the ability to inspire a conversation that will spark change.
