YUTE Annual Report 2014

YUTE PARTICIPANTS BREAKING TRADITIONAL GENDER BARRIERS:
TISSAN AND CASSANDRA MAKE THEIR MARK IN CONSTRUCTION
The construction industry is
traditionally seen as symbolic of
men and their mean machines:
grinding gravel, drilling holes,
mixing concrete, and perching
precariously on scaffoldings as
they put brick upon brick to build
structures. The perceived gentle
touch of a woman may not be
associated with such rough tasks.
It is this stereotype that some
women choose to defy, breaking
the mould, swinging jackhammers.
“A woman can do anything,” says
Tissan Moody, a participant in the
YUTE BUILD II programme. She
is learning the demands of this
trade as a Level 2 student in
General Construction at the
HEART Trust NTA’s Rockfort
Vocational Training Centre. “It is
hard work,” she admits, “but hard
work is always a part of life.”
Tissan, who wants to become a
lawyer, delved into construction,
“to check it out”, as it was something
that came naturally to her.
“I used to help my stepfather to
paint fences and lay blocks,” she
reports, “The YUTE programme
helped me to perfect my craft,
specifically in calculation, laying
blocks, mathematical skills and
most importantly, people to
people interaction.”
Fellow Level 2 General Construction
student Cassandra Taylor always
wanted to work in an office. “I love
secretarial work, writing letters, filing,”
she explains, “When the opportunity
came to apply for the YUTE Build II
programme, I wasn’t too enthusiastic -
but then I was sitting at home and
decided to do it.” It was not the
expected profession to train for, and
some might have said it was quite
‘unladylike’…so the apprehensions.
“I felt weird at first,” Cassandra recalls,
as she went to attend the first class.
She had to overcome more than the
gender related perceptions: there was
the hot sun beating down, for
instance, and acrophobia – the fear of
heights.
Despite her trepidation, Cassandra
says “I somehow made it to the top
of a building under construction!”
She adds that it was encouragement
from her Community Engagement
Officer at YUTE, Kirk Rhoden, along
with her own determination and self
motivation that made her continue
with the programme.
More of a traditionalist, Tissan says
she is soft-spoken girl. “I wasn’t a
rude child, I am respectful and I
always behave in the appropriate
way.” Yet she has learned to like the
manual labour. As her construction
classes are only a few days a week,
she is able to work part time
as a sales assistant in a store in
Downtown Kingston.
“I work in the day, come back home
and study from 7.30 pm to 10 p.m.,”
Tissan says, “I still have my dreams
to become a lawyer, but I want to
open my own construction
business one day.” Being in
construction has not only given
these young ladies the opportunity
to flex their elbow grease, but it has
also enhanced their overall
development.
“YUTE has helped me to prioritise,”
Cassandra reports, “The experience
has helped me to channel my
energy. There were different
workshops that helped me to build
my self confidence and self esteem;
I think more positively now. I was
discouraged at times, but I found
encouragement.”
Tissan and Cassandra are among a
group of young Jamaican women
who are keen on challenging
gender barriers, and are working
one step at a time to make a mark in
this ‘brick and mortar’ sector. They
both see themselves climbing their
professional ladders, and say they
would like to settle down and have
their families later in life.
These young ladies’ endeavours
will seek to groom a generation as
they grow and develop, professionally
and personally.
Cassandra Taylor, proud Level 2 student in the YUTE Build II
programme, is studying at the HEART NTA’s Rockfort
Vocational Training Centre.
A woman can do anything according to
Tissan Moody, Level 2 General Construction
student in the YUTE BUILD II programme.
YUTE ANNUAL REPORT | JANUARY 2014 - DECEMBER 2014 43