Ontario construction needs more women as major projects drive demand for workers

ntario’s construction industry is making progress in attracting women, but much more needs to be done to ensure they are welcomed, supported and able to build lasting careers in the skilled trades, according to three speakers at a recent Women in Construction webinar.

While the government has rolled out a series of initiatives to get more women into the trades, just five per cent of construction apprentices in Ontario are women, they noted.

The speakers – Candice White, CEO of Skilled Trades Ontario, Charmaine Williams, Ontario’s associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity, and Trevor Jones, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development, all emphasized that expanding opportunities for women is becoming increasingly important as Ontario needs more skilled workers.

The event was hosted by the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON).

“With women still representing approximately five per cent of construction apprentices in Ontario, there is much work to do,” said White.

Changing those numbers starts well before a woman applies for an apprenticeship, she noted, as girls need to be exposed to skilled-trades careers earlier and see women with whom they can identify already succeeding in the industry.