By CRM Staff
Toronto, Ontario – March 8, 2019 – Toronto, Ontario — March 8, 2019 — Skills Ontario is celebrating International Women’s’ Day by continuing to support the movement for increased labour force participation, skill development, and equality for women both inside and outside of the workplace.
Over the course of the year, Skills Ontario and its partners will host Young Women’s Career Exploration events at locations across Ontario that bring education, hands-on experience, and mentorship together, ultimately making the connection to successful career opportunities in the skilled trades and technology sectors. The event series culminates in the Young Women’s Conferences at the Skills Ontario Competition that will be held May 6-8, 2019 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The Skills Ontario Young Women’s Conferences are the largest young women’s conferences in Canada, attracting more than 2,000 young women from across Ontario to attend.
“Opportunities for women in trades and tech are limitless. We need to learn more about all the career options and hear success stories from female tradespeople, raising awareness for all,” said Jennifer Green, director of Competitions and Young Women’s Initiatives at Skills Ontario. “Job openings in the trades are growing at a time where overall employment opportunities are scarce, so getting women thinking about themselves in the trades is important for the Canadian economy.”
According to a 2015 survey done by Statistics Canada less than 14 percent of registered apprentices are female. Skills Ontario is looking to change this underrepresentation of women in skilled trade and technology professions by changing the misconceptions about the industry being dirty, low-paying, and generally unsuitable for female workers.
The education and mentorship piece of the Career Exploration Events and Young Women’s Conferences help make it easier for young women to realize the potential of skilled trade and the opportunities for rewarding careers that exist.
“Young women need to know that the trades and technologies offer many opportunities that can lead to bright, stable and successful futures,” says Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “Skills Ontario looks forward to continuing to work with our partners from government, industry, and education to increase the momentum for gender equality and a strong and diverse workforce.”
