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当Corissa Feenstra的女儿不得不为学校的一个项目用纸板箱造一辆车时, she chose to build a dozer. 显然，她继承了母亲对重型设备的热爱. Then, when the project was finished, 她宣布她想成为一名重型设备机械师.
Her mother was pleased but not surprised. “她把工具递给我，总是跟着我，听我说，”科里萨说. "If she wants to do it, she will!"
Corissa现在是SMS Equipment Inc .的产品支持代表. Fort St. John, B.C.他在很小的时候就对大型机器产生了浓厚的兴趣. 然而，她并不幻想进入这个男性主导的领域会很容易.
“我知道进入一个传统上由男性主导的行业会发生什么，我必须做好心理准备," says Corissa. 当科丽莎开始在重型设备上进行训练时，这种心理准备得到了回报. 她说:“随着我信心的增长和知识的积累，我的导师们对我的挑战也越来越多。.
科丽莎的职业生涯始于重型建筑工人的现场机械师，她热爱这份工作. However, with three children at home, 她利用这个机会转到目前的产品支持职位.
"If my kids are sick, I can be here," she says. “我还需要一些时间来适应不出外勤，但我正在慢慢适应!" However, Corissa is keeping her eye on the future. 她说:“我热爱我的工作，但我可以看到自己正在过渡到组织服务方面。. “我热衷于把每件事都排好队，以确保客户得到最好的服务."
Changing attitudes
对科里萨的女儿来说，幸运的是，传统的性别障碍正在逐渐消失. "We are on a very positive path," says Karyn Tremblay, Parts Supervisor at SMS Equipment in Val-d'Or, Quebec. “越来越多的女性可以自然地融入重型建筑行业, 特别是在SMS设备-不认为我们需要目录的人. We have passed that stage."
Things, however, weren't always easy. 特伦布莱回忆起她在21世纪初加入公司时必须应对的一些态度.
“一开始，我经常听说零件和仓库的参与者应该是男性，”Karyn说. “顾客们习惯了由男性服务，和其他男性一起工作通常会更有信心. 所以，我必须加倍努力工作，我觉得我不能犯任何错误. If I did, I knew the response would be 'a woman in that job; of course, she doesn't know what she is doing!'"
Fortunately, 卡琳在SMS设备公司的领导非常支持她:“我很感激像加姆坦·韦莱和皮埃尔·拉鲁什这样的资深员工, who believed in me and helped every step of the way," says Tremblay. “他们从来没有让我觉得重型设备太复杂，或者这是男人的工作!"
Attitudes have since changed. “时代变了，工作环境也变了，”Karyn解释道. “Plus, all my customers know me now!"
The passion for heavy equipment seems to be contagious. Natalie Ladd, who joined SMS Equipment as an accounts payable clerk, 五年后转到支持建筑销售的产品协调员职位.
"I loved that job," says Natalie. "I was always learning - about different product lines, new machines, industries we catered to, 以及我们的客户对这种令人印象深刻的设备的独特应用."
最近被提升为SMS设备加拿大西部销售团队的供应链经理， 娜塔莉现在有机会激励其他人跟随她的脚步. "I am exactly where I am meant to be," she said.
The power of gender diversity
为女性消除障碍不仅证明了女性可以做以前被归类为男性的工作，还证明了女性为这些角色带来了独特的能力，使劳动力更强大、更有弹性. In 2021, 《韦德娱乐1946》杂志援引调查结果称，实行性别平等的公司中，73%的公司比同行的生产力和利润更高.
Karyn feels her attention to detail helped her succeed. "If someone asked me for a water pump, I would open my parts book, locate the part, validate the model, and check every detail.这项技能帮助她建立了信誉，成为客户可信赖的合作伙伴.
Also, 那些必须加倍努力克服障碍的女性现在是女性和任何进入重型设备行业的人的伟大榜样. “我努力领导和指导我的团队，这样他们就能在公司里进步, like I had the opportunity to do," says Karyn. “我鼓励他们变得更加自给自足，自己研究解决方案."
科里萨对考虑从事重型设备行业的女性说. "Don't give up," she says. “你可以做任何你想做的事，像我这样的女人总是在这里帮助你."
Courtney Wheeler
Journey Red Seal Heavy Equipment Technician
Kimi Johnson
Journeyperson Heavy Equipment Technician
