Women In The Trades

Support Ontario Youth are passionate about improving equality, equal opportunities and increased participation for under-represented groups in the skilled trades. Within the construction industry in Ontario, women make up less than 4% of the on-site workforce - an alarming statistic when considering the current and worsening skilled trades shortage within the construction sector.

To address labour shortages, Ontario needs to train, hire and retain more than 100,000 construction workers by 2030. Within the construction industry, only 4.8% of new apprentice registrations are women, and only 2% actually complete their apprenticeship, indicating there are barriers to both entry and completion of an apprenticeship for women.

We strongly believe that a range of resources and support can make a significant difference to an apprentice's advancement and retention to help ensure they complete their journey to become a qualified journeyperson.