More and more women have been entering the workforce as professional painters. This is in line with their growing numbers in other trades that were traditionally male dominated. Working as a painter can be a great career choice for a variety of reasons.
Reasons to Become a Professional Painter
Let’s explore these so you can determine whether becoming a professional painter is the right move for you.
- Variety: Not the 9-5 office personality? Professional painting does not happen in one place. That means you may be working on a residential home renovation for one project, a condo complex for another or even a corporate or educational workspace construction project depending on your skill and preference.
- Job Security and Benefits: As part of a trade union, your comprehensive benefits will cover health, training and deliver long term job security.
- Staying Active: Professional painters need to exert themselves, climb ladders and reach into corners to apply their craft. If staying active and keeping fit are part of your work goals, a career in professional painting may be right for you.
- Competitive Pay and Opportunity: Professional painters, like others in the trades, remain in high demand and that translates to competitive wages and opportunity.
A Bit of Background
According to Statistics Canada, women make up less than 30% in the non-traditional careers which include the trades. However, women are breaking through these barriers and are finding success in these fields. There is an increasingly high demand for skilled professionals in the construction industry and professional painting is part of this trade segment. With over one million Canadians employed in the construction industry driving billions of dollars in revenue and activity, there is a constant need for professional painters to help complete projects on time and on budget.
The Path to Painting Professionally
With perceptions changing and opportunities in the trades plentiful, women can now enjoy new job responsibilities, including working as professional painters with many choices depending on their skills and experience. The path may vary. Typically, professional painters begin their journey as apprentices and work their way up to being fully qualified painters. Women professional painters may choose to specialize in an area such as decorative or restoration work if they want to fuse their own creative spirit with their newfound skill. If you have more of an entrepreneurial inclination, why not start your own business?
Mixing and Matching
Which ever path you choose, professional painters share the craft which typically requires them to prep surfaces, mix paint, apply paint, and clean up after the job is complete. There are learned tricks of the trade around how to setup, minimize spill and effectively clean up the area. Some circumstances may require staggering phases of painting based on dry time and occupancy where businesses expect tradespeople to cause the least amount of disruption to workflow and worker productivity in the affected space.
Changing Times but Barriers Remain
Changing times do not translate into gender equality. There have been significant shifts in attitudes. However, women continue to be stereotyped in society and in schools, which do not cultivate women to see themselves as professional painters or encourage them to explore the benefits and rewards of joining a trade union. Workplace culture may also be a barrier, where long held views may not be open to skilled women professionals. That said, the doors are open and more women are joining the trades and becoming professional painters, and that in itself is bringing down those barriers.
Seeking Female Professional Painters
With an evolving construction industry requiring skilled workers, women are poised to shift old perceptions and become part of the transformation which is happening in the trades. Professional painters, regardless of gender, can enjoy a challenging and rewarding career with plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement. By joining the union, you’ll get the opportunity to train, hone your skills, earn competitive wages, and gain job security. Find out more by contacting us today.
