Edmonton, Alberta — Alberta’s polytechnic schools each hosted a Jill of all Trades career exploration event in late November, where each welcomed more than 150 young women for a day of exploration and learning about careers in Canada’s skilled trades.
Attendees had the chance to learn more about career paths in manufacturing, fabrication, maintenance, construction, mechanical and electric installation, industrial automation and design and, of course, automotive and transportation. Mentors included faculty, alumni, members of the local industry and more.
“The girls got to choose three of the nine activities [offered],” said Dr. Reva Bond, Dean of the Southern Alberta Insitute of Technology (SAIT) School of Construction. “[The day] is about having conversations and broadening people’s perspectives on what is possible.”
Bond estimates that approximately five percent of Canada’s skilled trades workforce is female.
“The more women we can bring in, the more balance we can achieve—and we can make a safe environment for everyone to work in,” Dr. Bond told CTV News Calgary.
Jill of all Trades is a day-long event to introduce female and female-identifying high school students to the prospect of a rewarding career in the skilled trades.
Future Jill of all Trades events include:
- Centennial College — Scarborough, Ontario — February 24, 2024
- Confederation College — Thunder Bay, Ontario — March 27, 2024
- British Columbia Institute of Technology — Burnaby, British Columbia — April 2024 (DATE TBD)
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic — Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — May 8, 2024
- Conestoga College — Cambridge, Ontario — May 29, 2024
Events were previously held at Mohawk College in Stoney Creek, Ont.; Algonquin College in Pembroke, Ont.; Fanshawe College in London, Ont.; Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ont.;
Red River College in Winnipeg, Man., and College of the North Atlantic in St. John’s, Nfld., are each scheduled to have a future Jill of all Trades event, though no date has been confirmed.
