by Jamila Douhaibi –
We’re used to professions being considered traditionally female-dominated or male-dominated. The latter, such as jobs in the trades, STEM roles or senior management, tend to be higher paid, while female-dominated careers often fall under the lower-paid “caring” or “creative” professions. But as women cross the professional gender divide, men have also moved into positions considered to be on the other end of the spectrum. For this month’s Men to Watch issue, we interviewed three men in traditionally female-dominated careers to find out what they love about their professions. The way that each individual cares for our community’s children, students and seniors shows that the idea that only women are suited
to these roles is out of date.
Connor Way – Care Aide, Sidney SeniorCare
It is instantly apparent how much joy and satisfaction Connor receives from working as a care aide. At 22 years old, he says that he already has “the most fulfilling and interesting job.” Growing up, he was always curious about hearing other people’s stories. This, along with his respect and interest in seniors, led to working at Sidney SeniorCare. “Being a care aide to me isn’t so much about getting in, doing the job and getting out,” says Connor. He understands the need for empathy, patience and giving clients the best quality of life. Every day has its challenges when you’re working to support others, but Connor feels very fortunate to be able to assist the seniors in his care.
Connor believes that just being present is an important aspect of his job. He says that he has spent many quiet visits drinking tea and playing chess with one particular gentleman. “He was a man of few words and even fewer stories,” says Connor, but one day he shared about growing up as a sailor and being one of the first Canadians to lead an expedition to the Antarctic. Connor says that at the end of the day “all one has to do is sit, listen and engage” to be rewarded with these incredible stories and significant lessons.
Though this is still a female-dominated field, Connor says that many male seniors feel more comfortable with a male care aide for personal care, so it’s important to have the option. “There is no reason why men can’t be strong and be caring at the same time and I hope that my generation will start a new movement in this direction,” says Connor.
Paul FitzZaland – Fashion Design Department Head, Pacific Design Academy
“Honestly, fashion kind of found me,” says Paul. Costume design, puppet-making, children’s book illustrator – Paul has done it all. A graduate of Parkland Secondary School, he went to Emily Carr University and then moved to New York City to work for Fisher Price, designing toys and dolls for many of the top brands. Back on the West Coast, he has continued to design toys and create graphics for products.
When the opportunity to head the fashion design department at the Pacific Design Academy in Victoria arose, Paul embraced the new challenge. Though he’s always had an interest in costume design, he says that he never imagined that he would be a fashion designer, as his personal style is more “retro-grunge meets dad-bod denim.” But, to Paul, fashion is “all about dressing up and taking on a persona – it’s theatre.” All of the designing, cutting and re-sewing is the difficult but rewarding process of getting a unique piece of clothing out into the world.
Citing numerous famous male fashion designers, Paul says that “perhaps the idea of sewing as ‘women’s work’ still persists in some people’s minds, but in the fashion industry, that particular gender bias is not an issue.” Paul focuses more on the problem of “fast fashion” and says that “the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters on the planet.” Whether it’s the water to grow and process cotton, the chemicals to dye clothing, the fuel to ship each shirt, or the extremely poor conditions and underpayment to workers, the movement needs to be towards more sustainable design and manufacturing. In his role as a designer and instructor, Paul says: “if I can inspire at least one young fashion student to work towards designing healthy, long-lasting garments that can be manufactured by people making a fair wage,
then I will have done my job.”
Sheldon Taylor – Site Supervisor, Otter Be Fun Care – Beacon Community Services
When Sheldon was growing up in Winnipeg, there was no before and after school care. His introduction to working with children came about when a friend asked him to work at an intake shelter for Manitoba’s Child and Family Services. Though it was a really heartbreaking experience, when Sheldon moved to the Island in 2001 he knew that he wanted to continue to support children. He was hired by Beacon Community Services and says that after 21 years he still finds his job rewarding. “The profession I have chosen is like a fountain of youth,” says Sheldon – children’s kindness, creativity and sense of adventure keep him young.
Sheldon always looks forward to children starting kindergarten, teaching kids how to ride two-wheeled bikes, and being able to connect with families. “They have enriched my life 100%,” he says, and even though he never had children, he has loved being a role model for all of the children who have come through the doors of Otter Be Fun. “Some of the kids are parents now,” Sheldon says, but as long as he’s healthy, he has no plans to retire.
Sheldon says that childcare isn’t about gender, but about finding a job that you can really connect with and love doing. “You have to have a lot of patience and compassion to work with children,” says Sheldon. Everyone brings a different dynamic and strength to the program, and that’s what is needed. They are experiencing a high number of staffing shortages throughout their childcare centres, and Sheldon says that anyone with an interest should apply. After over two decades Sheldon can still say that he has loved every minute of it. His suggestion to younger generations: “Go into childcare – you won’t regret it.”
Photos of Connor and Sheldon by Kathryn Alvarez Photography.
Photo of Paul courtesy of Paul FitzZaland.
