A new course at a high school in Sherwood Park, Alta., is dedicated to teaching young girls what they need to know about car ownership, maintenance and entering the mechanics industry. Steven Milton, a teacher at Bev Facey Community High School for the last five years, said he created the all-girls mechanics shop for the first time in the school’s history as a way to reach out to those who may feel left out in a male-dominated field. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I pulled a lot of the girls and we talked to a lot of them last year to find out the interest,” he told CTV News Edmonton in an interview on Thursday. But he said there’s been a high demand, especially from girls who weren’t enrolled in the original mechanics courses. “It was definitely the right thing to have done … I think there’s more demand than what a lot of people give it credit for.” Take it from Julia Werstiuk, a Grade 12 student who transferred high schools just for this class. “I found that in the past, with some classes I used to take, sometimes boys can be judgemental if you don’t know the stuff right away, and that’s really discouraging,” she said in an interview Thursday. Werstiuk said she used to help her grandpa fix old cars out on his farm but wasn’t able to take mechanics programs at her old school. She said she likes the hands-on element of a mechanics course and its applications to her own car and independence. “Even though some of the girls already have a lot of background information, they’re very helpful and not condescending in any way, just really willing to help you out,” she added. Alexis Craig, for example, grew up in a shop her father owned in town for 14 years. “Mechanics is awesome, and I feel like it’s a great thing just to have in your toolbox,” the Grade 11 student said. “When you get your first vehicle and you’re driving down the road, you should have that basic knowledge.” Both girls are now considering options in the mechanics industry after high school. Milton said it bothers him that girls might experience mistreatment from boys in traditional co-ed mechanics courses. “If that didn’t happen, maybe a class like this wouldn’t need to exist, but creating a safe place for [girls] to be able to take the course when they have the desire to do it … it’s the right thing to do,” he said. The girls have ideas on what that means outside of school, too. Werstiuk said a women-owned mechanics shop wouldn’t be a half-bad idea. “Some women might be way more comfortable taking their car in. I know it’s easy to get taken advantage of,” she said. “People might tell you things that you don’t actually need and charge you extra.” Milton said the future of the course isn’t yet certain, but the hope is that it will continue to at least be offered once every school year. “It gives us that independence,” Craig added. “To any of the girls out there that are wanting to get into mechanics, get in there. We want to see you.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa
