Hydro operators in northeast helping to forge a bright path for young women in the trades
At a glance
- Julia and Haley, two female Hydroelectric Operating Technicians in northeast Ontario, share their love of their jobs and career in the trades.
- These important roles help ensure OPG’s clean hydroelectric power generated in the region is available for Ontario year-round.
- Julia and Hayley are now working to encourage other women to consider a career in the skilled trades.
OPG’s Julia Conrad and Haley Andrews are hoping to be the example for young women interested in a career in the trades.
The Hydroelectric Operating Technicians, who work out of OPG’s Northeast Control Centre in Timmins, are passionate about making sure young women know a career in the trades is not only possible, but also extremely rewarding.
“I’m a huge hydro dork,” said Julia, who has been with the company for eight years, starting as a Thermal Operating Technician at Atikokan Generating Station (GS) before moving to the hydro world in Northeast Operations. “Growing up, my dad (who worked as an electrician with OPG) would take me to hydro stations, so I grew up in that world and being fascinated with it.”
A typical shift for a Hydroelectric Operating Technician includes calculating water levels and flows, coordinating work occurring at various facilities, responding to power demands across the province, ensuring hydro capacity can meet provincial demand, and running reports and analyzing data, among other tasks. It’s an important role that ensures clean hydro power is available to Ontario, 24/7, 365 days a year.
Before coming to OPG, Julia worked at various jobs that have been traditionally male-dominated, including as a power engineer in paper mills in northeastern and northwestern Ontario. She admits that being the only woman in the mills was challenging at times, but it provided her the opportunity to increase her knowledge and education, allowing her to achieve her Second Class Power Engineering ticket, which ultimately led to her joining OPG.
I want young women to know that this is an option, there are a lot of opportunities out there and it can be a very fulfilling career.Julia ConradHydroelectric Operating Technician
“When I started working at Atikokan GS, it felt like such a relief that there were both men’s and women’s washrooms,” she said, laughing. “I remember in a previous job, I had to go to a completely different building to find a women’s washroom.”
Similarly, Haley, who has been a Hydroelectric Operating Technician with OPG for 14 years, has some experience with challenging work environments. But she explained that she too had some positive influences growing up who reinforced the potential value of working in the trades.
Both of Haley’s parents worked for Hydro One and she said a visit to the Ontario Grid Control Centre in Grade 10 was the beginning of her journey into wanting to be an operator. And it’s a journey she has loved so far.
“I really do love it,” she said. “It’s the same type of work day-to-day, but there’s always something different going on. We’re at the mercy of the environment and equipment in the field, so you never really know what your day is going to look like.”
She added that coming to OPG as an operator was also a great experience.
“Everyone in the control room was so friendly and welcoming, I’ve been really lucky. The other operators really took me under their wings and were happy to share their knowledge with me.”
Both Haley and Julia are so passionate about their careers that they hope to be able to shine a light on the trades for other young women, especially given the growing need for more skilled trades in the electricity sector as the economy electrifies.
“I want young women to know that this is an option, there are a lot of opportunities out there and it can be a very fulfilling career,” said Julia. “My dad was such a huge supporter of mine with encouraging me to pursue this career and I hope to pass that along. I want to be that spark for someone else.”
Haley agreed, adding that for some young women, the trades isn’t always presented as an option. And while the trades are sometimes considered “dirty” jobs, that’s often not the case.
“There are so many other options that don’t necessarily involve manual labour,” she said. “I love my job. I love coming to work. When you’re happy with what you’re doing, you think everyone else should be doing it too.”
Recently, the two have been involved in various OPG trades-focused events for women and have attended local high school career fairs. They have even been featured on some promotional materials encouraging a career in the trades.
“I would say, get out of your comfort zone,” said Julia, when asked about her advice for young girls who may be considering a career in the trades. “There are so many different opportunities in the trades. The sky is the limit.”
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