Gwen Bartel, Lead Hand

Just go for it

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Because I like my job so much, if somebody approached me and said, ‘I'm really interested in being a Lead Hand." I would say, ‘Absolutely go for it.'

"It's important for us to have challenges and climb that ladder. I would detail what courses they needed to take, give them any kind of support they needed to secure that position and in general say, ‘Go for it.'"

Where I work

I'm a Lead Hand in the tech plastics area called "lay-up" for 777, Boeing Canada. There are 17 people in my area. Boeing has one plant in Winnipeg but the head plant is in Seattle, Washington.

There are smaller locations throughout the US but this is the only location in Winnipeg and we focus on the strut (both forward and aft of wings) and under wing to wing panesl (wing to body).

Boeing has been on Murray Park Road for approximately 35 years. This location has recently had three phases of expansion.

Deaf person as Lead Hand

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Any person can become a Lead Hand. Communication is not as difficult as hearing people might think because we know English and write back and forth. Boeing offers interpreters on a daily basis and has many deaf people who are Lead Hands.

Now and again it can be challenging, just like with any job. With all the supports we have in place, deaf people can be Lead Hands without any problems."

Factory environment

All of my work is indoors. I work on the factory floor for my entire day. My office is located on the factory floor, which allows me to work directly with my staff. Parts of the plant are extremely noisy but our area is very quiet.

My job is very active. Because everyone needs something, I do a lot of hands-on work and running around. There is some lifting but that's mainly the kits we need to do our work. When we need to lift very heavy things, we use a forklift.

The buy off

We call our lay-up material an LM. Once the LM is placed on the part, we make sure everything is perfectly laid, properly placed, vacuumed onto the part and free of dirt and wrinkles.

Once I'm comfortable the work is done properly and set up perfectly I stamp it, which is called a "buyoff".

Once I buy it off, the piece moves to a different area for further processing. Ninety-nine percent of the time I buy it off but sometimes we need to make adjustments to fix things first.

Tools I work with

Each department uses different tools, depending on what we do, and Boeing has tools that are specific to the company. My computer and Blackberry help keep things running smoothly and give me access to my staff and supervisors.

In lay-up where we work on the aft strut, which is under the wing between the engine and the body, we use clamps, a drill and tool pin and special knives and gloves. A heat gun heats the material and gets it vacuumed before we can buy it off.

Communication barrier

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Getting out to the outside world, there were some barriers there. Mostly the barriers were connected to communication. People didn't know how to sign and having that instant connection, that wasn't always right there.

"We moved to an area called Milton There was a deaf school there that used American Sign Language. My parents thought it would be a good idea to socialize and have friends who were deaf themselves."

Successful parents

My mother and father have been very successful in their careers. My father graduated from high school and went straight into the banking business. He worked his way up to bank manager so we moved quite a bit.

My mom was a registered nurse for many years. She took time off when she had my brother and me but eventually returned to work. Mom also taught nursing in a post-secondary setting but she's now retired.

Close family

I am married to a man I met at work. My husband works in the Bullnose, a different area of the plane and building at Boeing. I think it's better we work in different areas but ironically we have the same supervisor.

Together we have three children. We've two sons, one is eighteen and the other nine, and a five year old daughter. My family can all hear but each of them is bilingual. They can communicate fluently in both English and American Sign Language.

Active vacationing

Because I've been at Boeing for twenty-three years, I get four weeks holidays. We also have shut-down time at Christmas when we close for two weeks. Some people work through shut-down but it just depends on the area.

We get a good amount of holiday time so I like to travel and camp with my family. We've been to Waterton, Banff, Jasper, Clear Lake and Ontario. Summers are always busy for us. Manitoba has beautiful camping facilities too and many well-known festivals to take part in.

Time for me

My home and work life are both extremely busy so I feel strongly about finding balance. I'm focused when I'm at work and at home I'm extremely busy with the children.

Taking time with my family to go for a walk and enjoy the outdoors helps me be active in a way that's different from the way I'm active at work.

I also need to do something like visit a friend for a chat where I can let off a bit of steam and have a break from my home life and work life. I need time for me.

Differing pace

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"As far as pace goes, it depends on the part. I don't think we have too much pressure, however if a different area gets behind then that would influence our area, the parts that we're getting.

"We might get an influx of jobs that we have to get done, so we have to pick up the pace. It could be pressured at those times."

Ongoing goals

We have monthly goals called "rates" and a level of productivity to achieve. My area follows a schedule with four rates. Sometimes we get behind and have to catch up. On the whole, we keep up in our area.

When we meet our rates without overtime we are rewarded with points that we can accumulate and cash in for gifts. My team has been awarded numerous points. If we get behind, we can lose our points but my area has not lost points so I'm pretty proud.

Schedule is fixed

I work a 40 hour work week. I can't make my own hours because my schedule is not flexible. We have to create a plan and schedule to meet our rates. Every day I start at 5:30am and finish at 2:00pm. It's a 24 hour factory, so there are normally three shifts.

After 9/11 we went down to two shifts because a decline in passengers using planes resulted in layoffs. We're building up again and there's quite a bit of movement, so we'll be back up to three shifts.

Creativity on the job

I really like the ability to be creative with my work. Everything is time-specific. My goal is to always work to make a part in less time. I try to figure out how to enhance the way we work and do things faster, which is interesting and I like that.

I like these challenges because I enjoy working with people, love problem solving and figuring out how to find a different way to do something. It always feels good after a buyoff but especially when we hit a snag and found a way out.

Connecting with staff

I can read people well and can tell if someone's having a bad day, if they're angry or frustrated. I like to help and encourage people to think positively on the job. I love humour, which I often use with my staff and I think it's been beneficial.

We work very hard, we're focused and our job is rigid but we have the chance to joke around and have fun. It's important to get things completed, but it's good to have some fun and enjoy each other's company.

Making a difference

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"When I'm working on the wings in my department I know my work is going to benefit the people of the world because they're flying on the aircraft we've developed and developing new aircraft for the future.

"I'm working on this for beneficial reasons so it does make me feel good."

Working together

As a Lead Hand I'm responsible for helping my staff finish their parts. We have problems and challenges every day on the job. If it's a serious problem, we bring in our supervisor.

Sometimes we'll bring someone in from a different area to brainstorm, because they bring fresh ideas and a different perspective. We do the same for other departments. They come to my area if there is someone who has a skill they need and we can help with solving their problem.

Ongoing learning

Continuous learning, on-the-job training and professional development are important to my work. One of the perks of working at Boeing is having opportunities for professional development.

We have Health and Safety training, workshops about communicating, workshops about the latest working styles for various departments and workshops updating us about the business plan that our president conducts himself. Informally, new employees come in and teach us different techniques.

Dealing with stress

Sometimes in our area it can get stressful. I don't tend to react in the moment or fly off the handle. I don't like that and think it's important to be a good role model. If in the moment I find I'm losing it a little bit, I'll go for a walk.

While I'm walking, I'll think through how I'm going to deal with things. I'll try to determine my plan and how I'm going to react to the situation. I cool down and think things through so when I go back I can deal with the issue.

Public’s Perception

There are two perceptions about the industry. Some people are very curious about the aircraft industry and take an interest in Boeing in that regard. They have a really good understanding of what Boeing does and what I do.

The flip side of the coin is people who know absolutely nothing. I can tell these people where I work and they have no idea. They don't know I work on wings for planes or have any idea of the physicality of the job. They have no concept of it.

Getting a job lead

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"My parents really wanted me to go to college and get into clerical work. I went to college and got a degree. When you do clerical work, what do people ask for? They want someone that can speak on the phone.

"I went to Unemployment Insurance. We had interviews in regards to job opportunities. They suggested to come to Boeing. I thought, ‘I can do this.'"

Applying for school

I applied to go to a college for deaf individuals in Washington, DC. There was an entrance exam that unfortunately I didn't pass. At that time they didn't have interpreting services at post-secondary institutions like they do now.

Red River was the only institution with interpreters available in pretty much all of Canada so I had a pretty small selection of schools where I could go. Red River had the interpreters so that's where I went.

Progressive responsibility

When I first came to Boeing I worked in utility. People would have orders and I would be on the receiving end of that. Then I worked in Tech Plastics for a few years.

When the posting came up for a Lead Hand, I applied for the courses that Boeing offers and was accepted. After that I became a Lead Hand. I've pretty much worked my way up the ladder and I've been working in Lay-up for many years now.

Union environment

I'm involved in union meetings. Once a month there are meetings outside the building to share information and discuss Boeing issues. Because I'm a Lead Hand and need to be on the floor for my full shift, I can't take the Steward role. You need to be able to take time off to go to Steward meetings.

We also have a sisterhood. We're fortunate enough to have workshops so our sisterhood goes to places like Hecla Island, where we discuss the rights we have as female employees.

Career advice

I would encourage students to focus on their math and literacy skills if they're interested in this line of work. It's really important to have those skills because you have to read calendars, planners and blueprints.

Math is integral here so focus on your math, get really good grades and spend time improving your reading and writing skills. It's also important to be physically fit because it's a physical job with bending, lifting and repetitive movement.

Happy in current position

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I've been here almost twenty-three years. I think I've sort of reached the pinnacle where I would like to be.

"Boeing is very good in letting us challenge ourselves. There are always new postings open to everyone so if anybody does want to learn new skills or go into a different area, they certainly have that opportunity.

"I'm comfortable exactly where I am right now."

My goal

My goal is to be a really good Lead Hand. At this point in time, being a manager might be complicated. Right now, Boeing doesn't have any deaf managers but that doesn't mean it's not possible.

Being a manager would mean having an interpreter would be a necessity and while we have interpreters now, they're not here twenty-four hours a day.

Maybe becoming a manager will be a goal for another deaf person because I'm pretty happy where I am.

Making retirement plans

My husband and I are working toward retiring in ten years. Hopefully we'll be able to have a double retirement. We both want to travel. I would like to visit places in Canada that offer history and the chance for an adventure. BC and Nova Scotia are places I would like to go.

Outside of Canada, I'd like to go to the Black Hills. I think it would be fun to take the kids to Yellowstone Park. We prefer the smaller places, so I can't see us going to big city like New York.

Expanding and updating

It's wonderful here at Boeing right now because we're expanding. We have a new contract, the 787, so we'll be hiring more people. We'll be relocating within the building to make room for the 787. It's ever-changing here and things are constantly being updated.

I predict I'll take more courses and that there will be more changes to my work and new technology to learn. Our supervisors guide us in that regard so if there are courses I need to take they'll tell me.

Communication improving

I still think deaf people on the whole are not at par with hearing people. I would like to see the world recognize deaf people as equal to hearing people. In order to be equal to hearing people, we need full communication.

Using technical devices like the Blackberry and video phone where you can see a person signing help make this happen. Close captioning everywhere, for TV and movies would be good. It's improving and doors are continuing to open up for communication.

Job market info

The official title for Gwen's occupation is "Supervisors, Other Mechanical and Metal Products Manufacturing" and its NOC* code is 9226.

Job Futures Manitoba

Who Hires? - Manitoba Labour Market Information

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

High School

Useful High School Subjects*

- English
- Math
- Mechanics/Industrial Arts

*Source: JobFutures.ca

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to 4 free courses.

After High School

Below are links to various programs and courses that will you on the path to a career in Supervising in Aerospace Manufacturing.

Red River College

Aerospace Manufacturing
Aviation Management
Manufacturing Technician
Technology Management
American Sign Language - English Interpretation

University of Manitoba

Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Undergraduate Program
Mechanical Engineering - Aerospace Option

Skills

Useful Experience/Skills*

- Leadership
- Safety procedures
- Staff training
- Quality assurance

Source: Job Futures.ca

There is not yet an Essential Skills* profile for this occupation.

*Essential Skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enables people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.

Professional resources

The Manitoba Aerospace Human Resources Coordinating Committee (MAHRCC) works with industry leaders, educational institutions and governments to provide a trained workforce for Manitoba's aerospace sector. Creating connections between various schools and local companies, they help to develop courses, apprenticeship programs and ongoing training for those currently working in the industry. MAHRCC also works to promote careers in aerospace to Manitoba's youth.

Manitoba Aviation Council
A provincial organization that promotes, facilitates and protects the development of all facets of aviation in Manitoba

Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute
A national membership organization that supports, promotes and educates aeronautic and space industry professionals

Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council
A national, not-for-profit organization responsible for the human resources strategy for aerospace manufacturing

Deaf Centre Manitoba Inc.
A non-profit organization providing and coordinating resources, programs and advocacy that enhance the development of the Deaf Community in Manitoba

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