Burnaby/Fraser Valley – In honour of Construction and Skilled Trades month in British Columbia , over 80 young women from high schools across the Lower Mainland received hands-on experience in skilled trades April 4 at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Jill of All Trades event. This event offered a full-day trades workshop for students from over 30 high schools in Vancouver, Agassiz, Chilliwack and Hope. The event aims to introduce skilled trades to young women, and potentially address the shortage of skilled workers.
According to the latest survey from the B.C. Construction Association, there will be a shortage of about 6,000 workers by 2032 in the construction industry. That same study also showed that only 4.5% of the 163,900 skilled tradespeople currently in B.C. are women, highlighting the opportunity to bring more women into this field to help address the looming labour crunch.
Jill of All Trades encourages young women to try out skilled trades and provides guidance and inspiration for them to pursue a career in the trades.
Enbridge, an energy transportation company which runs a natural gas pipeline system in B.C., has partnered with Jill of All Trades, donating $125,000 for these events across Canada and the U.S. to help create greater awareness about employment opportunities for women in trades. The company also has employees volunteering as mentors at the BCIT Jill of All Trades event.
During the BCIT Jill of All Trade event, participants visit multiple trades stations, allowing them to try out trades in areas such as ironworking, welding, sheet metal working, power engineering, plumbing, motorcycle and auto-collision repair, cabinet making, and digital and wireless communications.
Participants also get to hear directly from tradeswomen, who share stories and information about their journey into trades, and the diverse paths available for those considering a career in the trades.
