Ashley Duncan is a strong leader and mentor in the trade community. She takes pride in her work and the success of others. Ashley is a Red Seal insulator, pipe, and H Vac mechanical insulator and had been doing this for nine years when she became the Vice President with the BC insulators, which was her union. “I come from a background working with many women in trade groups. Mentorship is a major key to their success. I am currently working at the Liquid Natural Gas Terminal (LNGT) project in Kitimat, and we are running a bunch of cohorts of the Mentorship Matters classes. It’s been cool to witness these classes on a large-scale project. It’s all very inspiring.”
With plenty of experience as a mentee, Ashley is now a strong mentor, driven by the success of her mentees. Throughout her years mentoring others, Ashley has discovered multiple vital qualities that make a great mentor and mentee. “You need to be willing to listen, and that goes for both mentor and mentee. You must be able to have open communication and be willing to learn and ask questions. There are no wrong questions!”
Ashley also stresses the importance of storytelling within a mentor/mentee relationship. “Storytelling is crucial in mentorship. If you can tell stories and relate them to the job, especially if you can make them laugh, it makes people listen better, and those stories last in their minds for a lot longer. It makes things memorable and relatable.”
“Having a mentor changes everything. Without a mentor, things don’t get done properly, and you might learn a lot of bad habits. A good mentor is there to support, challenge, and help you succeed in the industry of your choice.”
Mentorship Matters believes in the power of mentorship training. They focus on improving safety, quality client relationships, communication, and skill transfer while promoting a more diverse and inclusive workforce.