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91������Ƶ (OC) and the Government of Canada have partnered to support female apprentices with a new mentorship and education program aimed at increasing opportunities for females to enter the trades and complete their Red Seal certification.

91������Ƶ is receiving $873,000 over three years from the Government of Canada to support women in the skilled trades through the ACTION project: Apprenticeship Completion and Networking.

The project will support retention and progression of female apprentices in construction and manufacturing trades and aims to tackle what the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum states is a 20 per cent gap in Red Seal completion between males and females, largely due to females leaving their respective industries part way through their apprenticeship.

“We need more skilled trades women taking an interest in the field and pursuing it as a long-term career of choice to build the homes, bridges and infrastructure Canada needs today and into the future,” said Steven MacKinnon, minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour. “Today’s investment in the ACTION Program is helping support women to do just that.”

The project focuses on mentorship for female apprentices from industry mentors such as Krista Paine, the president of the Canadian Home Builders Association. Paine was on hand today at 91������Ƶ’s Penticton campus to officially launch the program during a forum on Women in Architecture, Construction and Engineering, in partnership with WeBC and in celebration of International Women’s Day.

“As a Red Seal Carpenter, I know firsthand working in the trades is an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling career,” said Paine. “The sense of accomplishment, the creativity and the supportive community of fellow tradeswomen make it an amazing path to pursue. This program will help more women see themselves in the trades, providing confidence and support they need to thrive.”

In addition to mentorship, the ACTION project will provide educational sessions on things like injury prevention, proper safety gear and communications. There are also student and employment supports available.

“We know it is vital for us to be supporting the need for skilled workers and that means making space for a wider group of tradespeople and supporting their progression through the industry,” said Sara Cousins, OC manager of Trades programs. “Women and other equity deserving groups are under-represented in the trades sector and programs like this will help normalize their participation, support their success and bring greater innovation to the sector.”

The program comes on the heels of the release of the BC Labour Market Outlook, which points to the need for 1-million skilled workers in B.C. in the next decade.

“It is our duty to support the communities throughout the Okanagan and Shuswap with programming that help create the workforce of the future,” said Sam Lenci, OC provost and vice president academic. “Providing these types of opportunities to women who want to get into a career in trades is part of our mission to transform lives and communities. I’m proud of our team for this unique partnership and look forward to hearing from the students who go through the program.”

The ACTION program is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy.