Province investing in Women in Carpentry program

The Ontario government is working for workers by investing $289,759 in the Women in Carpentry 2.0 program in Huron-Kinloss.

The Women in Carpentry 2.0 program seeks to empower women to enter the carpentry trade by providing training and skill development, including safety in construction and on-site work placements. This program is made possible through a partnership between the Township of Huron-Kinloss, Fanshawe College, The UBC Local 2222 Carpenter’s Union and VPI Employment Services.

Back Row (from left to right): Mary Rose Walden, C.A.O. for the Township of Huron-Kinloss; Kristin Dimmick, Project Coordinator for Women in Carpentry Program; Mitch Twolan, Mayor for the Township of Huron-Kinloss; Lisa Thompson, M.P.P. Huron-Bruce; Ryan Plante, UBC Local 2222; Don Murray, Deputy Mayor for the Township of Huron-Kinloss.
Front Row (from left to right): Heather MacKenzie-Card, Program Manager for Fanshawe College; Michelle Goetz, Manager of Strategic Initiatives for the Township of Huron-Kinloss

Women in Carpentry 2.0 aims to provide the experience and skills necessary for underrepresented groups including; women, indigenous students, the unemployed, and other underrepresented groups to enter and be successful in the carpentry trade.

Details were announced today by Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, on behalf of Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

“This is an important initiative facilitated through the Municipality of Huron-Kinloss,” said Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson. “It certainly fills a void that has existed in skilled labour for far too long – that being a gateway for women to pursue a career, in this case, carpentry. I know they can do the work – we all know they can. This program enables that all important first step. I look forward to its continued success.”

Huron-Kinloss Mayor Mitch Twolan said he was proud to be able to announce the project. “Huron-Kinloss identified the need for more skilled trades workers in our strategic plan we are helping to solve this problem,” he said. “The Women in Carpentry 2.0 program provides an introduction to carpentry and real, hands-on work experience, for a demographic that doesn’t often have the opportunity to explore the carpentry trade. We hope training programs such as this will open the door for women, and other underrepresented groups, to gain the skills and experience they need to start their career in the trades.”

This initiative is supported through the government’s Skills Development Fund, which has provided over $200 million in funding for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training, or retraining workers during the pandemic.

“Our government is working for workers every day. Through our Skills Development Fund, we are giving workers the training they need to fill in-demand jobs, earn bigger pay cheques and advance in rewarding careers that make their families and communities stronger,” said Minister McNaughton. “Our government has a workers-first plan to deliver a stronger Ontario. As build today for a better tomorrow, we need all hands-on deck. We’re leaving nobody behind and we’re getting it done.”

This investment builds on the government’s ongoing efforts to attract, support and protect workers, making Ontario the top place in the world to work, live and raise a family. It follows legislation Minister McNaughton recently passed that provides foundational rights for digital platform workersrequirements for employers to disclose their electronic monitoring of employees and for businesses in high-risk settings to have Naloxone kits on hand, and several red tape reductions to encourage out-of-province workers to help fill the generational labour shortage.

Data suggests that the need to replace retiring workers is greater for skilled trades workers than for other occupations. In 2016, nearly 1 in 3 journey persons in Ontario were aged 55 years or older.

In the fall of 2021, there were more than 360,000 jobs vacant in Ontario.

Ontario’s Skills Development Fund is supported through labour market transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.