Podcast: The job site ‘isn’t what it used to be’
By On-Site Staff
By On-Site Staff
Presented by:
Women are making up a larger percentage of the Canadian construction workforce each year. As companies, governments and industry groups focus on inclusivity, job sites that have been stuck in the past are evolving.
On-Site recently sat down with Alexandra Oldford, the communications liaison on EllisDon’s Rutherford GO Station project. She discusses her career in construction and shares her take on the steps the industry still needs to make to encourage more women to join the construction workforce.
“The construction industry isn’t what it used to be,” she says. “We’re looking for a diverse set of skill sets, perspectives and that’s really key to executing and winning important jobs.”
Listen to the full discussion below. Oldford gives her take on the steps the construction industry still needs to make to encourage more women to join the workforce
Despite having spent just over two years with EllisDon, Oldford has already taken part in a diverse set of projects. Along with her current role on the Metrolinx train station expansion and several other previous projects, she served as the design manager for the Canada Pavilion for Expo 2020 in Dubai.
Oldford started at the Mississauga-based contractor’s head office, but when the opportunity to lace up her steel toes and get out on-site arose, she didn’t hesitate.
“It’s not as intimidating as it looks like from the outside and I can say that from genuine experience — I didn’t grow up on-site in terms of my career,” she says. “When you get out there, you realize how enthusiastic people are to answer your questions.”
Listen to the full discussion below:
