Tradeswoman. Trouble Maker. TikTok Star. Brooke Laing

Brooke Laing is a steam fitter and welder apprentice in her third year with UA Local 46 in Toronto. She's also the Chief of Strategy for the Sisterhood of Trades and just started her own podcast. So she's got something to say about what it's really like for women coming into the trades right now.The barriers are real. Women have to prove themselves in ways men don't. There's harassment that supervisors aren't taking seriously. And trying to find PPE that actually fits? Good luck. But the industry is starting to shift some employers are finally getting it.The flip side is that women are crushing it in the trades. Better attention to detail, willing to do the work right instead of just fast. And young women are discovering this through social media where tradeswomen are showing the real side of the job.Getting women into the trades isn't that complicated. Union apprenticeships are structured and solid. Networking opens doors. And having a community like the Sisterhood means you're not figuring it out alone.Highlights:Women entering trades face barriers like have to prove themselves constantly and dealing with harassment that goes nowhere.PPE that actually fits women is harder to find than it should be.Social media is how young people are actually learning about what trades look like.Union apprenticeships provide structure and community that matters.Employers who take complaints seriously and create safer environments are seeing the shift happening.Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS where we talk about the things most don't want to talk about so we can help move the trades forward. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear real conversations from people actually working in the trades today.Get in touch with Brooke:FacebookInstagramLinkedInGet in touch with us:Check out the Blue Collar BS website.Steve Doyle:WebsiteLinkedInEmailBrad Herda:WebsiteLinkedInEmailThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrpOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy