Shannon Tymosko, based in proximity to Toronto, Canada, is an apprentice electrician, and an advocate, educator, and ambassador for women in the skilled trades.
She is an active leader in KickAss Careers–a Canadian-based organization dedicated to bringing education, resources, and encouragement to women interested in working in a skilled trade.
She was introduced to the organization while attending a pre-apprenticeship program at the YWCA in Hamilton. She met Jamie McMillian, who is a tradeswoman ironworker/ boilermaker and co-founder KickAss Careers, and the meeting inspired Shannon to persevere through her coursework and to eventually join the organization in supporting skilled tradeswomen.
“Jamie was the first woman I had met who was a real authentic tradeswoman,” Shannon says, “She gave me the motivation and inspiration I needed to keep persevering.”
Through her partnership with KickAss Careers, Shannon has presented at local high schools, hosted workshops at her local YWCA, managed “career exploration workshops” with a program called Skills Ontario, and has delivered virtual trainings to regional apprenticeship programs, including the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP).
Shannon is currently in her second year at Electrical Apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) based in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. Shannon credits her apprenticeships and her profession in the skilled trades with providing her with independence, confidence, and financial stability.
“Having a pension, great health benefits, and pay all lead to my independence,” Shannon says, “I now have a job that gives me the chance to ‘Thrive not just Survive’. Being in the skilled trades has given me the confidence, skills, and community to complete any work tasks or take on at home projects…I inevitably learn something new almost every day I go to work.”
Shannon also credits her education and profession with increased motivation to help grow the number of women in the skilled trades.
For more information on Shannon and her work, visit https://www.shannontymosko.com/.
