Wo-Built Was Mentioned in the Toronto Star

Attention! Attention! Attention!

Our Pre-apprenticeship training course for women in the finishing trades is almost designed and we are looking for women in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding areas who want to start a career in the building trades. A curriculum will be published in November. Our training mandate was mentioned in the Toronto Star recently and what a great way to kick off information for the training.

Here is the link:
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/250115

links:
On Topic - Toronto Training Board eNewsletter
VOLUME 8, August 2007
WOMEN AND EDUCATION
TheStar.com | News | Trades program offers lesson on repairing lives
George Brown pilot project turns at-risk women into in-demand skilled tradeswomen
Daniel Girard, Education Reporter
Toronto Star, Aug 27, 2007 04:30 AM

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Professional Versus Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Renovations

Washroom ready for painting or is it?

Image No: 0303024 from Canstockphoto.com

Copyright reserved

As I walk thru the neighborhood I am struck by the flurry of activity that all the renovations are generating. Painting, roof repairs, window installations, and remodeling projects - signs on the lawns advertise what job is being done and by which company. What a great idea to hire a professional renovation team! I am reminded of some personal experiences with do-it-yourself renovations and some of the unpleasant results. Friends have also recounted their horror stories of do-it-yourself projects with even worse outcomes. There have been accounts of bathrooms with no doors and a hole where a window should be; stories of no walls to define the separate rooms and even the absence of ceilings.

One supposed advantage that gets a good number of people on the do-it-yourself bandwagon is the financial savings. But this can turn out to be a major pitfall. I learned the hard way that the drawback of not having the right know-how and experience to do a particular job correctly will certainly reverse this advantage. When we decided on a minor bathroom renovation, a simple toilet installation produced a minor flood. The services of a professional plumber were called for to repair the damage and finish the job as it should have been done in the first place at a substantial price tag. No financial savings here!

Another drawback is the time involved. I can laugh about it now, but the bathroom renovation that took 2 years to finish caused some very short tempers and sorely tested our marriage. Again, the lesson I learned the hard way is that living in a mess for an extended period of time can cause a lot of chaos and aggravation within a household.

The message here is that unless you know what you are doing and really enjoy puttering around with home repairs and renovation projects, a professional renovation team can save time, aggravation and costly mistakes. The cost may be higher but the payback can be substantial in the long run. Peace of mind for a job well done, and the time for personal interests may be well worth the price tag. I know what my choice will be for future projects.

_________________________________
Lonya is a staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

Image: CMHC "Time for a Change?" poster
"Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has the information you need to plan and carry out your dream renovation. From the planning stages to the final touches, and from replacing doors and windows to giving your bathroom or kitchen a facelift, CMHC can help."
Image Credit: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/hoficlincl/moloin/upload/Time-for-a-Change-Sept.pdf

links:
Home Renovation - Do it Yourself or Hire a Pro?
About.com: Home Renovations
Portal:Home improvement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Home improvement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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A Reflection: Now Life’s Events Can Impact on Your Home Design

Our editorial in the August Bloor West SNAP Community Paper
Click on picture to enlarge.

Bloor West SNAP is a monthly source for a captivating view of the many community events, celebrations, business gatherings and general daily life in the communities of Bloor West Village, Swansea Village, High Park, The Kingsway, Roncesvalles Village and the Junction.
http://www.snapbloorwest.com/

A Reflection: Now Life’s Events
Can Impact on Your Home Design
by: Martina Ernst

What do you do when life deals you one of those unexpected curve balls, such as having to care for elderly parents or the return of a daughter after a divorce with grandchildren in tow? Even planned changes such as a new baby’s arrival can play havoc with your living arrangements.

These occurrences are common, however, may not have been in your life plan. When one or both of your parents begin living with you, this brings about huge changes to the comfort level in your household. Short of uprooting the entire family to a new location at enormous expense, all these concerns can be facilitated with the services of a competent professional with good planning expertise.

One of the most important matters is creating boundaries that give everyone a certain degree of independence. Part of the process has to be brainstorming possibilities with your family and then consulting with professionals, i.e. architects, designers and contractors to get the best suggestions to the challenges you facing.

Some points that would facilitate the process to achieve your desired results:

∙ Consider the situation you are facing and needs of everyone involved. Make wish-list.
∙ Discuss the issues with your family and take into account everyone’s needs and opinions. Solutions can range from simple partitioning to elaborate additions. Do you convert the family room to a granny suite or do you consider an extension to your home? Maybe converting two bedrooms into one and considering a chair lift would be the answer. How do you prevent from compromising the resale value by the conversion?
∙ Think about the existing space, budget, and desired lifestyle. How do you keep the cost down and provide the comfort your family deserves?
∙ Visualize the final outcome. What do you want to achieve and what do you ultimately need.
∙ Consult with all professionals involved and make your final decision.
∙ Get started!

Having a specific goal in mind can make communication a lot easier. The construction aspect of the project is the easy part, knowing what you want: priceless.

Martina Ernst is the CEO of Wo-Built Inc, a women-led Design and Build general contractor.
www.wobuilt.com

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We Are Back!!!!!

Wo-Built's new logo
Renovation with a Women's Touch
WO-BUILT: THE VISION BUILDER
416-402-2679
info @ wobuilt.com
www.wobuilt.com

Hello everyone,

Wo-Built Inc had an incredible summer and we made lots of progress in growing our business and developing our training program. Over the coming months we will post articles and notes on the subjects.

We were mentioned in the Toronto Star and had an editorial in the SNAP Bloor West Community Paper. More on this over the next weeks.

We are launching a series called 'Reflections' and we would like to have your contributions. Share your stories and personal thoughts on renovations, your home or the building industry. And we still want to hear from women in the industry about their experience.

Look out: this is going to be an exciting fall season.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc

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permanent link:

We Are Back!!!!!
http://wobuilt.blogspot.com/2007/10/we-are-back.html

Correcting the Gender Imbalance

Businessteam
Image No: 0421469 from Canstockphoto.com
Copyright reserved

As an operations manager and client of several manufacturers in the GTA and Hamilton area I had the opportunity to observe changes in the gender imbalance in the technical sales field.

In the process of preparing a bid for heating upgrades for a high-rise residential building in Oakville, Ont., I met with five suppliers whom we had not dealt with before. The sales staff were quite efficient in informing me of my options and demonstrated the heating components they carried.

When I started my search for the product upgrades, I dealt with only one woman out of five representatives from all the companies contacted. As I kept working with the five vendors for the quotations, it came to my attention that a male sales representative was replaced by a female. It struck me somewhat surprisingly, in a positive way, that in other projects as well and with other vendors that women were replacing the male selling staff.

It really shouldn’t have been so surprising because in actuality the gender of the staff made no difference because the assistance I needed can be equally provided for by both men and women. They are both capable of finding and relaying the correct technical information, pinpointing the pros and cons of the deal and they both would guarantee reliable service and quality of their products. But I love the idea of more women in technical sales for manufacturing because there are more people like me - female customers doing technical work and the number of women in the industry is increasing. It just makes sense that they should also work in the supply chain too.

_______________________________________________________
Corina Popescu is the President and CEO of Westown Electronics Co., a commercial supplier of heating and energy control parts for high-rise buildings in the South-West of Toronto and Hamilton area. She can be reached at cory@westown.com or 905-624-8311 (toll free 1-888-224-8311)and through www.westown.com.

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Design Corner: Outdoor and Spa Furniture Worth Mentioning

Photo courtesy of S.E. Design, Toronto, ON, Canada

As a general rule we do not give our support to products, but recently we came across a line of outdoor and spa furniture which is worth mentioning. Designed by Sabrina of S. E. Design the furniture pieces have great detailing and elegant design.

Check out Sabrina’s website at www.sabrinaliving.com

We met Sabrina through our search for women in the skilled trades and, interestingly, she combines training in woodworking and interior design to create her furniture pieces. Her furniture shows that she is excellent at her craft and in addition she wants to help women enter the trades. A great role model for women in the skilled trades.

She has also kindly agreed to contribute an article or two about her experience as a mill worker. So, stay tuned for interesting stories.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc
_______________________________________________
S.E. Design's contact information: info@sabrinaliving.com, S.E. Design is located in Toronto, ON, Canada

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permanent link:

Design Corner: Outdoor and Spa Furniture Worth Mentioning
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Interesting Reading: Perceptions of Barriers to Apprenticeship

Accessing and Completing: Apprenticeship Training in Canada
Perceptions of Barriers: A Consultation Report
January 2004
Credit: Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

I just came across an interesting consultation report, published by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum in January 2004 on the 'Perceptions of Barriers' which prevent young people in particular to view the trades as a viable alternative to other careers.

The report states the following barriers:

1. Negative attitudes to apprenticeship and a poor image of trades
2. A lack of information and awareness of apprenticeship
3. Difficulties with unwelcoming workplaces or training environments
4. Costs of apprenticeship to individuals, employers and unions
5. Concerns over the impacts of economic factors on work and apprenticeship continuation
6. Concerns about the lack of resources to support apprenticeship
7. Concerns about apprentices' basic and essential skills
8. Shortcomings of workplace-based and technical training
9. Issues regarding regulations governing apprenticeship
   

The report is fairly long, but if you are interested in encouraging people to go into the trades I recommend it as good background reading. Here is the link to the report.

Accessing and Completing Apprenticeship Training in Canada: Perceptions of Barriers.
Consultation Report 2004.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc

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Interesting Reading: Perceptions of Barriers to Apprenticeship
http://wobuilt.blogspot.com/2007/05/interesting-reading-perceptions-of.html