Annette Donnenworth knows how essential a supportive community is to achieving financial empowerment thanks to Women Building Futures (WBF).

Working as a waitress several years ago, Donnenworth was looking for assistance transitioning into a career with more room for economic growth. WBF helped her find a career in the pipefitting trade where she thrived.

Fast forward several years, the WBF alumni was ready to take her career in a new direction with power engineering. When WBF and Lakeland announced their new partnership in the spring of 2021, she jumped at the opportunity to enrol in a power engineering career accelerator program.

“They don't just throw you in there,” says the WBF alumni, who's now enrolled at Lakeland College. “They give you a strong base of knowledge to start, they help you get all the safety tickets you need, and they mentor you, preparing you before you even start the program. I really liked that.”

The accelerator program provides three weeks of instruction and training for potential female power engineering students. It's an opportunity to get their safety tickets, brush up on their math and other skills, and build a community before entering the post-secondary program. The partnership with Lakeland ensures that seats in the heavy oil power engineering (HOPE) program are held for participants, pending their successful application.

Donnenworth completed the accelerator program with nine other women, eight of whom are now taking HOPE.

“We worked with a group and built a community before we even started school,” Donnenworth says. “Together, we got our safety tickets, brushed up on our math skills and everything so we could see where we needed work and extra support. Then we had time to work on that before we got to school. It was so helpful.”

Now that she and the other WBF participants are at Lakeland, Donnenworth is glad to have that community around her.

“The course is condensed so you have to be willing to put in the work and have good time-management,” she says. “But the instructors are so great and helpful and I'm really enjoying it. The labs and steam time are amazing, and it's fun seeing everyone getting to do things hands-on. In our lab yesterday, everyone was so happy and excited to actually begin boiler start up and learn about interlocks and control systems.”

Donnenworth is also appreciative to find that the supportive community she found with WBF also exists at Lakeland, where student support services have been foundational to her success.

“If you're a mature or returning student like me, the student support services are so helpful,” she explains. “I've gotten extra help - most of the girls in my class have as well. We've gone to Karen Harris, the Learner Strategist, and everyone has really benefited from it. It's such a valuable resource. Karen just brings such a positive atmosphere and a positive feeling that empowers you. Any of the girls who went to her, they came back more confident, like they had an extra steppingstone.

“With Women Building Futures, they set you up with a foundation of knowledge and community. Here at Lakeland, they teach you how to keep that momentum going with support. It's amazing."

Photos: Top - Annette Donnenworth in class at the power engineering lab located in the Energy Centre at the Lloydminster campus. Bottom - A more relaxed Annette Donnenworth out of doors on the Lloydminster campus.