Hamilton, October 13, 2022 – The West End Home Builders’ Association partnered with Mohawk College and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) for an educational showcase that took place on October 12 at Mohawk College, Stoney Creek Campus of Skilled Trades. The event offered 100 young women and gender diverse individuals in Grades 7 and 8 the opportunity to learn about the rewarding career possibilities in the residential construction, skilled trades, and STEM industries. The showcase consisted of a full day of interactive workshop sessions, tours of Mohawk Campus and an inspiring session with Shannon Tymosko, a 2nd year Electrical Apprentice and Advocate for the Skilled Trades.
“Women make up only 13 percent of the total workforce in construction, and only 5 percent of skilled trades workers. The WE HBA Women In Industry (WIN) Committee is advocating for positive, cultural change that will increase inclusion and gender diversity in the Residential Construction Industry. We are very pleased we had the opportunity to educate young women about the rewarding career opportunities within the Industry, and we are thankful for the support we have received from our community partners and members in doing so.” says Bianca Bruzzese, WE HBA President.
The purpose of the WEBUILD Showcase was to inform young women in Grades 7 and 8 in the Hamilton District School Boards about the career opportunities in Residential Construction, and the academic pathways that exist to get them started. During the event, the students had the opportunity to visit different booths hosted by community partners and WE HBA members of different trades and fields. The booths included hands-on activities in Renovation (Heartwood Renovations), Builder Scheduling (Cachet Homes), HVAC (Dynamic Heating & Cooling), 3D Modeling (Losani Homes), Heavy-Duty Training and Power tool Demonstration (Milwaukee Tool), Structural Engineering (Mohawk College), Hand-tool demonstration (Reimar Forming Construction), Millwork (Riverside Millwork Group), City Planning (Gateway Group), Excavation Simulation (YORK1), Plumbing (Guest Plumbing & Heating), Electrical (OYAP) and equipment demonstration (YWCA). The students participated in friendly competitions, workshops and had the opportunity to talk to professionals from the different trades and specialties. The event was made possible by the hard work and dedication of the WEHBA WIN Committee, as well as the gracious support of WE HBA partners BDO, Bell, Enbridge, Molinaro Group and T. Johns Consulting. Any proceeds from the event will go to a Mohawk College scholarship, for women and gender diverse individuals in skilled trades.
