Tradesperson Spotlight - Jodell Clingo, Sheet Metal and Welder
RMC’s blog series, Tradesperson Spotlight, features conversations with real tradespeople that get to the heart of what it’s like to work in the trades, and what drives their dedication to build the world around us and break down stereotypes.
As a child, Jodell Clingo seemed destined to go into the trades - her grandfather was a master carpenter, her mother is a painter and her father is a retired painter - in short, her family was passionate about skilled trades. But Jodell was passionate about horses. When she was 12 years old, she won free riding lessons at the riding stable up the road from where she lived in small military base community called CFB Gagetown, just outside of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Over time, she began to work at the stables as well, and Jodell spent years in the equestrian industry developing a strong work ethic and living her passion. One day, while saddling a filly before a race, the horse slammed her into a wall and she got seriously injured. She decided that the risk of injuries from being in that industry were just too high and started looking for a new direction.
Her good friend was a carpenter in Calgary and recommended that Jodell reach out to the Calgary Construction Association where she could do a safety course and learn more about a trade, then they would then forward her resume to companies that might hire her. Her dad was also encouraging her to explore the trades. As Jodell explains, her dad was “always a firm believer that any woman who is in the trades is going to be a better worker than any guy! He's just always been like that, and I've always been his shadow. So, he had absolutely zero doubt that I could do it.”
Initially, Jodell, who was 24 years old at this point, thought welding would be exciting, but when she got an interview with a welding company the hiring manager had a different suggestion. He told her that she should look into sheet metal work and explained that it requires four years of school instead of three, but that she’d learn how to weld, lay out, and form metal. Sheet metal work is multi-disciplinary and there are many different specialities that one could follow – it can include ductwork installation, industrial installation, fabricating, and repair. She says, “he just rattled off everything about the trade. And I was like, well, I love learning… so, sign me up!”
She wishes she could say that her first job was a dream, but unfortunately her boss had a problem with women, and because Jodell is gay he also called her ugly names and made a concerted effort to get her to quit. He didn’t know Jodell though – this stoked her fire and made her work harder, taking on all the drudgery jobs they gave her as well as practicing on her own time to get better at her craft. “I was like, you don't want me here? I'm going to show up every day, I'm going to finish whatever job you give me. And I'm going to put my all into it.” She encourages new hires to find employers that value their contributions and their personalities, and give them room to grow. “Don’t think that this is the only company to work for if you're having a bad experience, you can get a job elsewhere if it just isn’t working.” Jodell didn’t realise this at the time though and persevered at her job, but eventually her boss quit and things got a bit easier.
Because she constantly practiced and proved her ability, her new boss gave her more challenging projects when she asked for them. She says, “if you're not willing to put in the extra time or effort to really show somebody that you’ve learned a specific skill, you may get overlooked. So, if you want to get great project assignments, go and cut yourself a whole bunch of scrap material and practice, and then when you think that you've gotten good at it, show it to the supervisor and say, ‘Hey, look, this is what I did. I think it's time that you give me one of these jobs that I want to do.’”
After apprenticing for a year, she began her first term at SAIT towards her Red Seal Certification for sheet metal. “Trade school was heaven, right off the bat. I became part of a big group of friends where I never felt excluded or bullied, and my instructors were all fantastic. Every September when I was getting ready to go to school for the year, I was just so happy, buying books and a new outfit, just so excited to go to school!” She finished off with top marks. She later went on to complete a second Red Seal Certification in welding, and her welding work was third in line for the Dean's award. She says that part of her success in school comes from asking for what she needed from instructors, starting study groups with friends, and being honest with herself. “There are so many questions that a young person has to ask themselves right off the bat about what kind of career they want. And if they're really young, they might have to go through a few apprenticeships before they find the one they love. Just because they're doing one thing doesn't mean that you can't take the skills that you've just learned and move them over to another trade.”
After working in her trade for 16 years she finds the ability to create to be the most fulfilling aspect of her job. Jodell says, “I often refer to fabricating as glorified arts-and-crafts because the scale just goes up but the premise is the same, you're building something sometimes with a creative flair. My intention had always been to gain a job skill with sheet metal, and to be able to weld metal as a medium for art.” In her spare time, she works on the designs for her sculpture art comprised of welded stars and other materials, and plans to begin the work on it soon.
She’s seen big shifts in the perception of women in construction, and respect for tradespeople. She believes that older generations continue to have a lot of respect for tradespeople, sharing stories of little old ladies telling her they were so happy to see a woman in the trades. “I really feel like the shift is starting to happen because young people are realizing that going to university isn't the be-all and end-all. A lot of university students are coming out with big loans and low paying jobs, and many people are embracing the fact that they love working with their hands. Aside from book smarts there are many kinds of intelligence that people in the trades possess, like creative intelligence, or emotional intelligence which makes you a great leader.”
And how do pay, employability, and other benefits stack up in her field? “I probably make more money than the person who went to university for four or five years!” she says. The Alberta Government occupation website, ALIS, lists a sheet metal worker’s average annual salary at $71K per year, and $78K per year for welders, with the possibility for more money from side work and overtime. Employability is good, especially as baby boomers are starting to retire. And if you’re willing to move around Canada you’ll always find work, she says. But she’s learned that “the bigger paycheck doesn't always necessarily mean a happier you. So, sometimes it's better to take a lesser paying job that's going to be a little bit more relaxing, and more concerned with the quality of work you're putting out versus how many hours it takes you to do something. I think [a trade] makes you a more honest person at the end of the day because hard work builds character, and there's nothing to be ashamed of coming home at the end of the day knowing you earned honest money today.”
So, what does she suggest to young people exploring a trades career? “Go to tradesecrets.alberta.ca and look through the Red Sealed trades that are on the list,” she says, they explain the trades, and list educational requirements, wages, and job postings. Talk to other tradespeople. Think about long term plans – if you want to eventually own a business then consider machinery and start up costs (for example, a sheet metal fabrication shop can have upwards and over a million dollars worth of equipment, versus plumbing or electrical which would have much less) and choose a trade that’s more financially reasonable to run on your own. And most importantly, “it's such a personal journey that you’re going to take, and you just need to be not afraid.”
Interested in working together on your project?
Since 2009 we’ve worked closely with hundreds of clients to make their dreams come true — and we’d love to work with you, too! Please get in touch to get the conversation started today.