Workshop 4 : Careers in the Service Sector

Women Girls Workshop Overview

Objective:

To introduce students to the various careers they can pursue within the Service Sector with a special focus on the Arborist career.

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Part A: Introduction to Careers in Construction

The introduction portion of this workshop consists of a PowerPoint presentation which will introduce students to the service sector of the skilled trades. Various careers that fall under this sector will then be examined briefly (for example – appliance service technician, horticultural technician, baker-patisserie, electronic service technician, goldsmith, etc.). Apprenticeships will then be explored. Finally, special focus will be on a career as an arborist and examining the duties, skills, and benefits of successfully pursuing this career. The apprenticeship program for becoming an arborist will be explored in detail, including the number of hours necessary for both in-school and on-the-job training, and skills that are learned in both settings.

PowerPoint Presentation: 22 slides

Part B: Mentor/ Role Model Component

Research indicates that one of the most important factors to the success of young women in technical fields and skilled trades is providing mentors and role models. Young women need to see examples of other women successfully following non-traditional career paths. For this portion of the workshop, choose from the following options:

Part C: Experimental Learning Exercise

A Lesson in Arboriculture – Estimating the age of a tree

Material required:

• Various tree ‘slices’ as pictured

Demonstrate one of the duties of an Arborist with an activity that will teach students how to estimate the age of a tree.

To begin, explain to students that a lot can be determined about the history of a tree simply by looking at one of its ‘slices’ after it has been chopped down.

Have students examine the rings on the various slices. Each ring consists of a dark and light part. The lighter part is developed during the rapid growth season (late spring/early summer) whereas the darker, denser part of the ring is developed in late summer/ early fall. Combined, the light and dark layer of each ring represent one annual growth cycle of the tree. Therefore, the number of rings can be counted to estimate the age of the tree.

In addition, the thickness of each layer tells us about the conditions for growth at the time each ring was developed. A thicker combination of light and dark indicates good growing conditions (warm temperatures, adequate rainfall) whereas a thin ring indicates poorer growing conditions.

Have students estimate the age of each tree slice and details about the conditions the tree grew in using their new knowledge. Have students take turns repeating this process with each tree slice provided, and then ask them to compare notes with one another.

For a more in-depth explanation, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG44MW_iMmI

Outcomes

Upon completion of this workshop, students will:

• Be able to identify various careers that fall under the service sector and the apprenticeship requirements for each
• Understand the gender imbalance that exists within the service sector
• Demonstrate a fair understanding about a career in arboriculture, including the skills, qualities, and opportunities available
• Experience a hands-on activity which demonstrates one of the duties of an arborist