On any given weekday, Carroleen Perrin can be found in a white suit, booties and a mask, spraying paint on cars. It’s a way for her to relax and "get into the zone," but it’s also her passion. She wanted to go into cosmetology, but then found a way to pursue art in the auto industry.

Perrin is one of only three women in her Collision Repair class at North Idaho College. She said it’s better than being the only woman in her engine mechanic classes at the Kootenai Technical Education Campus.

She said the boys in her class always assumed she needed help and couldn’t do things on her own.

“I took that class to learn how to fix my own car, to learn how to change my own tire so I’m not stranded on the side of the road waiting for a guy to come rescue me,” she said. “I think people think that only men can do things on cars and it’s totally bogus. If that’s what you want to do, go forth and do it.”

NIC agrees with Perrin and wants to encourage more women to take its Career and Technical Education classes.

NIC is hosting a “Ladies Night” Wednesday, March 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the NIC Parker Technical Education Center located at 7064 W. Lancaster Road, Rathdrum.

Ladies Night is more of an open house, explained Calvin Dehaas, a collision repair technology instructor at NIC.

“Any woman who has an interest in our programs can come by and we’ll show them around so they can see what this industry looks like, ask questions and talk to former students who have gone on to successful employment,” he said.

Dehaas said he loves having women in his class, especially when it comes to the painting aspect of things. He said women can see more shades of colors and tend to have better eyes for detail. He also said women usually make the best welders.

“There’s no reason women shouldn’t be successful in this field,” he said, adding he doesn’t know why more women aren’t in the field. “I love having a few ladies in the program — it cleans up the setting and keeps the guys on their toes.”

Rachel Haase went through NIC’s Collision Repair course and is now a paint technician with Maaco in Spokane. She said she never really had any issues being one of the only women in the class and it actually made her a little more competitive.

“It was like a challenge that I had to prove myself,” she said. “The biggest problem I had was that I’m shorter, so when I was painting cars it was harder to reach the middle of the roofs of big cars. But I haven’t had any issues with [being a woman in the field.]”

Perrin will graduate from NIC’s Collision Repair program this spring and would recommend it to anyone, especially the ladies. She said she can see why gender could be an obstacle for women who might want to get into the field because it’s perceived as for men only. But she said if she can do it, others can, too.

Perrin has helped set up Ladies Night and is excited to show other women what she does.

“I’m happy they are encouraging women to join male-dominated jobs,” she said. “We need more women; they bring different points of view and it adds variety.”

Ladies Night will have information about training and programs within the following fields: Aerospace Technology, Automotive Technology, Carpentry and Construction Technology, Collision Repair Technology, Diesel Technology, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration (HVAC), Industrial Mechanic/Millwright, Machining and CNC Technology, Welding Technology, Law Enforcement, Healthcare Computer Technician, Computer Information Technology and Graphic Design.

The event is free and attendants will have the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship provided by the NIC Foundation along with additional prizes and giveaways.

“The qualities women bring just enhance what we do,” said Dehaas. “They should not be intimidated by a male-dominated industry. They’ve got what it takes to be successful in these programs and the industry will welcome that.”