Toronto, Ontario — The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) says it has secured $100,000 aimed at advancing women in the skilled trades.
This funding comes from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and will be spent on creating more “equitable opportunities” for traditionally marginalized individuals.
“Skilled tradespeople have always played a crucial role in Canada’s economy,” said Andrea Barrack, RBC’s senior vice president of corporate citizenship. “Women can play a large role in addressing both the talent shortage as well as elevating themselves into more senior leadership roles.”
According to Statistics Canada, women represented just seven percent of trade workers in the country last year.
CAF says its work with RBC will give a boost to its National Leadership Program for women in the skilled trades, which is free for Canadian women and gender-diverse individuals.
“The goal of this program and other future CAF programs, is to support a pathway to leadership opportunities within the skilled trades,” said France Daviault, CAF’s CEO. “When there is equitable decision making and inclusive leadership in a place of work, recruitment, retention, and productivity are positively impacted.”
This funding represents a continued recent push toward promoting women in skilled trade roles. Last month, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) launched its annual campaign aimed at supporting, attracting, retaining and advancing women in the collision repair industry.
To learn more about CAF’s National Leadership Program, click here.
