The Manitoba government will launch several new initiatives to help women access job opportunities in non-traditional skilled trades. This announcement was made by Jobs and the Economy Minister Theresa Oswald.
“These new initiatives will create pathways for girls and women to find a career in non-traditional trades like welding, machining and electronics, and help build Manitoba’s skilled workforce,” said Minister Oswald. “Jobs in the skilled trades are in high demand and women are significantly under-represented so this is an excellent opportunity to help women improve their career outlook and their standard of living.”
Minister Oswald made the announcement at Building Bridges: Increasing Women in the Trades, the first-ever Women in Trades forum in Manitoba. The forum brought together journeypeople, apprentices, employers, colleges and government representatives to discuss challenges and successes of female journeypeople and apprentices, and explore new opportunities for women entering or currently employed in the skilled trades.
The minister said new government initiatives will include:
- The Trade Up! Program, which provides supports for women looking for jobs in non-traditional skilled trades like welding, machining and electronics. The program will include one-on-one counselling, assessments to determine training needs and development of a personal employment plan. Eligible funding may include tuition, a living allowance, training supplies and other program-related supports including reimbursement for child-care costs.
- A partnership with Red River College to provide vocational education opportunities for women in the skilled trades, so they can become future teachers and leaders in schools. The program will start in the fall of 2015 and is open to 12 eligible female certified journeypeople who want to receive a vocational education diploma. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2015, and applications are available at www.manitoba.ca/tradecareers.
- The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) will deliver a pre-apprenticeship co-op program for level one training in the construction electrician trade, with reserved spots for 10 female participants. The program will also give priority to other under-represented groups in the skilled trades, including Aboriginal people, new Canadians, and employment and income assistance recipients, who will gain competitive skills and find employment with sponsoring employers.
“These initiatives will open new doors for girls and women to consider a career in the skilled trades and also create more female role models,” Minister Oswald said. “As well, bringing more under-represented groups into the labour market is critical to meeting our government’s goal of increasing Manitoba’s labour force by 75,000 workers by 2020.”
Women interested in applying for the Trade Up! Program or the Red River College vocational education program, can visit any Manitoba Jobs and Skills Development Centre. Information on the development centres is available at www.gov.mb.ca/tce/contact or by calling 204-945-3337 in Winnipeg or 1-877-978-7233 (toll-free).
