Ontario launches new initiates for women in constuction
Posted Aug 8, 2023, 1:53PM EDT.
Last Updated Aug 8, 2023, 3:34PM EDT.
The province of Ontario is working to help more women and young people enter the construction trades with three new projects.
Currently, women make up less than five per cent of Ontario’s construction workforce. The government will be investing $3.6 million in all the three of these programs.
The first program, run by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO), will help 700 tradeswoman gain leadership, communications, health and safety training and networking opportunities within the construction industry.
Another project is expected to provide 1,500 people access to online resources and training tools where they explore skilled trades and find opportunities within their profession of choice.
Finally, an ongoing program call the Tomorrow’s Trades program, which has previously run in Toronto, will provide 60 grade 12 students in Ottawa and London with hands-on learning opportunities.
He also acknowledged that women are aware of these jobs, but rather choose not to pursue them and are reluctant to join the field for other reasons such as discrimination and harassment.
McNaughton said this is the number one priority of labour unions when it comes to health and safety.
“We’re making great strides on this front. Women are leading the growth in the skilled trades. A 30 per cent year over year increase in female apprenticeship registrations. It’s because we’re changing the conversation around the skilled trades.”
McNaughton also referred to the initiative to mandate women’s only washrooms on larger construction sites.
“This came from female apprentices that told me time and time again that they would go to a job site but they would have to go to Tim Hortons to use the washroom. It’s wrong. Every worker deserves that basic human dignity of a washroom.”
The projects will be funded through the government’s $700 million Skills Development Fund.
Director of Human Resources for Ontario Power Generation Helen M. Viveiros said these programs will be key to staffing many skilled trades for years to come.
“We know that we can only do that through collaboration. We know that we need do that by training up our apprentices and of course by recruiting more diverse candidates into the trades recruiting bring women into the train and looking to significantly the skilled trades that we have today,” said Viveiros.
Ontario’s Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton said these programs will help support the need for 100,000 skilled workers over the next decade. “In the middle of a once in a generation labor shortage, businesses are already struggling to find the skilled workers they need to build our province and grow the economy for everyone.”
Lisa LaRonde with the Canadian Association of Women in Construction tells CityNews child care is another major barrier for women due to shift work. But she said it’s something the governments can address.
“I say we are starting to blaze trails we need to blaze these trails together we need to unify our voice speak up and change the behavior,” said LaRonde.