b'WOMEN IN TRADESand how to properly operate them, its so much fun. Through training programs like those offered in partnership between Little Red River Cree Nation and IHE, Indigenous women are able to access an education thats different from attending a post-secondary institution, which can saddle them with substantial debt. This is not to say that its all smooth sailing; women have often experienced discrimi-nation when entering a male-dominated field, regardless of their training and capabilities. In particular, says Akhtari, there can still be a bias against female heavy equipment operators.That said, the feedback she has been getting from employers is that the graduates of the IHE training program are showing excep-tional skill. Some of the feedback Ive heard from our industry partners is that in some cases women pay more attention to detail and have a more careful approach with their machines, Akhtari says. If you are a good operator, youre a good one; gender does not come into question. It is important to recognize that everyone should be given an equal opportunity to pursue their careers in this field, regard-less of their gender. Velma Laboucan, a graduate of the trainingNATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP program in Little Red River Cree Nation, nowPROGRAMworks operating dozers, loaders and excavators The Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC) has also been actively involved in training Indigenous women in the trades, accomplishing this through a national apprenticeship program funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). While NWAC has been actively advocating for Indigenous women in Canada for over 40 years, their involve-ment in providing skilled trades training is relatively newhaving only launched the initiative last October. NWAC recognized there was a serious deficit in the skilled labour market and felt it was time to get involved, helping to open a new career path for Indigenous women. NWAC acts as an intermediary for OttawasNationalApprenticeship Program, distributing grant incentives to employers who hire Indigenous women to do first-year Red Seal apprentice-ships. Through the program, Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, transgender and gender-diverse people can apply to do 28A CCAB PUBLICATION2023'