Native Woman On Road To Being Heavy Duty Mechanic

Native Woman On Road To Being Heavy Duty Mechanic

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 12:58

An Aboriginal woman from Yorkton can now boast she is the province’s first female Aboriginal heavy duty apprentice mechanic at Saskatchewan Highways.

Julean Wapemoose is one of 12 apprentices who are part of the Aboriginal Apprenticeship program, in which each person is mentored for the four years it takes to become a journeyperson.

Once complete, they are given the opportunity to compete for permanent positions.

Wapemoose says there are days when she asks herself if all the hard work is worth it . . . because while she’s working and studying to become a heavy duty mechanic, she is also raising seven children — six of them living at home — and the youngest is four.

Wapemoose says even if she’s often tired, the hard work is worth it because she wanted a good job to support her kids.

She says she grew up watching her parents work on vehicles, and has always been interested in how they work.