Tools of her trade include resilience and passion

Tiffany Lynn Dunn will never forget the moment she saw the results.

At 5 a.m., coffee in hand, she burst into the bedroom, flicked on the lights, and shouted: ‘I passed. I passed!” Her husband Alex, groggy, but grinning, told her he had never seen her happier.

Earning her Red Seal as a steamfitter in 2013 wasn’t just a milestone – it was proof she belonged in a field where women are still the minority.

As the first woman to complete trade school locally, she faced challenges, but resilience and hard work helped her get through.

“When I talk to younger women in the industry, they’re surprised I struggle with confidence at times,” Tiffany says. “When I started, I was often the only girl in the lunchroom, the only girl on a job site or the only girl on the tools. I couldn’t rely on finding allies that looked like me or were sharing a similar experience every day. I took pride in the fact that I ‘wasn’t supposed to be here’ and was doing it anyway.”

For more than 15 years, she has worked in a variety of capacities in the petrochemical industry.

Now a first line supervisor, she is helping pave the way for others, proving success in the trades isn’t about being the strongest – it’s about showing up, learning, and never letting doubt win.

Tiffany says she’s encouraged to see more interest from women in the skilled trades and technology careers. She shares her personal story often. In January, she was the keynote speaker for the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce Women in Business luncheon.

“I am passionate about talking about my experiences,” she says. “If people see and hear from someone who is similar to them, whatever that may look like, then suddenly these careers become possible. I hope I’m helping girls and women consider the trades.”