On Monday June 22nd, local Amy Ovans was awarded the “Prize for a Student in Vocational Training from the Québec English School Boards Association” in the 19th Annual “Chapeau, les Filles!” competition.
The monetary award, which recognizes women who study in non-traditional fields, was one of 32 prizes given to women who stand out in their career fields. Out of nearly 700 applicants, there were only 56 winners. The awards ceremony was held at the National Assembly in Quebec City.
“If someone doesn’t love what they are doing, they couldn’t excel at the job,” reads part of Amy Ovan’s submission to the “Chapeau, les Filles!” competition. The petite 18-year-old, who has already secured two different sources of employment, is busy at work six days a week.
Ovans originally wanted to be a pilot or a heavy machine operator—but the former wouldn’t have allowed her to be so hands-on, while the latter didn’t accept applicants straight out of high school. After looking into several options, she realized that welding was her number one career choice. Being a female in a male-dominated field wasn’t an issue for Ovans—in fact, being the only female in a class of 24 only made her work harder. Completing her DEP in Welding and Fitting at the NOVA Centre in Chateauguay (over a period of a year and a half), Ovans made the trek out to Chateauguay five days a week. For three of those months, Ovans doubled up her studies, opting to add a diploma in High Pressure Pipe Welding—which called for twelve-hour days, five days a week. Fortunately Ovans had the support of her parents, which she cited as a huge source of encouragement in helping her to complete her studies. As a result of her hard work, Ovans was awarded the honour of valedictorian her High Pressure Pipe Welding class.
The career centre, which is both funded and accredited by the Ministry of Education, provides a variety of courses—one of which is the welding and fitting course that Ovans excelled in. Next up for the Elgin resident? “I have an interest in the ocean, and am considering an underwater speciality course offered in PEI,” says Ovans. She also hopes to add a Level 1 and 2 Welding Inspector’s certificate to her résumé in the future.
