Organizations for Women & Girls

 
 
 

Skills Ontario is Redefining Skilled Trades, Technologies

Young Women's Initiatives Program Manager, Lindsay Chester, proudly holds their Guinness World Records title for the largest online video chain of people passing and using a screwdriver.

Skills Ontario opened its doors in 1989 in Barrie, Ontario with a mission to promote skilled trades and technologies to youth. Since then, Skills Ontario has grown to become a well-known charity that reaches millions of Ontarians annually. But stigmas surrounding the skilled trades and technologies didn’t make this easy.

Misconceptions around skilled careers include that they’re dirty, only suited for men, don’t pay well, and are for those who can’t advance in education. Skills Ontario disproves these myths every day, and through their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity initiatives, they’re making sure that youth know the skilled trades and technologies welcome all.

For over 20 years, Skills Ontario has been running its Young Women’s Initiatives program. Through experiential learning, mentorship, and networking opportunities, they’ve reached thousands of young women with an aim to inspire them to explore career paths they may have never considered before or might have even been discouraged from considering.

Just last year, their annual Young Women’s Conference saw over 7,000 virtual attendees: a record high for Skills Ontario. Along with Career Exploration Events, an International Day of the Girl virtual activity series, and more, young women of all ages are learning that skilled careers are not just for boys.

“We don’t just want more women in trades; we need them,” says Lindsay Chester, Young Women’s Initiatives Program Manager. “There is strength in diversity, and when we make young women feel inspired and empowered, it is a win for everyone.”

Over the past two years, Skills Ontario has expanded its programming to be inclusive of other groups, such as persons with exceptionalities and people of color. Over 2,000 viewed their very first Persons with Exceptionalities Conference in March 2021 and heard from speakers who presented and shared resources. Skills Ontario plans to expand its portfolio to relinquish outdated and exclusionary stigmas, and even launched a new Skills Wear line in summer 2021 with slogans on apparel such as “This is what a tradesperson looks like” and “This is what an apprentice looks like.”

For more information on all the programs that Skills Ontario leads, please visit skillsontario.com.

 

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