For Collingwood native Ashley Stevens, working with her hands has always felt natural. Growing up, she spent countless hours helping her father run his flooring company, which was an experience that planted the seed for a future in the skilled trades. But like many young people unsure of their path, Stevens initially took a very different direction.
In high school, she landed a co-op placement at RBC. She worked there throughout college for several years, giving her a strong foundation in the world of finance. However, she quickly realized that this wasn’t her cup of tea.
Trusting that instinct, she enrolled in a Building Renovation Technician program and, after graduating, joined an all-female construction company in Toronto. After spending time in the city, Stevens decided to move back home to Collingwood when a new opportunity arose—allowing her to continue building her career in construction while reconnecting with her roots.
It was on one of those local job sites that her path took yet another unexpected turn, when an electrician offered her an apprenticeship in 2015. Stevens had never considered electrical work before, and believed she would hate it, but her philosophy has always been to say yes to opportunities that present themselves. To her surprise, she quickly fell in love with electrical work and hasn’t looked back since.
Since 2023, Stevens has worked full-time in the maintenance department at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. Her role is diverse and has her doing something new each day, whether it’s repairing existing systems, keeping essential equipment running safely, or installing lights in a new area of the hospital.
Most recently, Stevens learned of an opportunity to add teaching to her repertoire of skills. Despite a busy work schedule and home life, she was able to complete a two-year online program through Brock University, earning a Bachelor of Education that qualifies her to teach technical courses in high schools. Last year, she even balanced her full-time electrical work with part-time teaching appointments at Georgian College for a semester.
Stevens encourages young people, and especially young women, to explore the trades early and to not let intimidation be a barrier. “A lot of people think they won’t like it, then end up loving it,” Stevens said.
“Take the class. Take the opportunities given to you. You have nothing to lose to try things out, especially when you’re young.”
For Stevens, the message is simple: the trades offer far more pathways to success than most people realize. With so many transferable skills and a constant demand for skilled workers, the trades can open doors you don’t even know exist – if you stay open-minded. She laughs at the idea of her younger self imagining a future as both a full-time electrician and a part-time teacher. But to her, that’s exactly the point: you never know where your career can lead unless you’re willing to try, explore, and say yes to new opportunities.