The new electrical for women dual-credit course launched with 14 students from Perth and Huron Counties.

South Huron District high school Leah Goodhue once thought she was destined for a career in the sciences.

But after becoming one of the first students to complete the new electrical for women dual-credit course offered through a partnership between the Avon Maitland District school board and Conestoga College, Goodhue had a change of heart.

“From then on, I just learned that I loved using my hands and I loved working and doing that kind of stuff,” Goodhue said. “This class actually really changed a lot of things for me, and I think it’s a lot more likely that I will be pursuing it.”

The innovative program launched with 14 students in grades 11 and 12 from eight area schools as a means of increasing the number of women who are considering skilled trades as a career choice. Jim Brintnell, a dual-credit teacher with the board, noted that only about five per cent of skilled-trade jobs in Canada are held by women.

“It has increased slightly over time, but we are certainly missing the mark in two areas – we’re not filling the trade gap that we have for the number of people that we need in the trades for the amount of work . . . there’s going to be, and we’re woefully off the mark when it comes to the number of women that are joining the trade,” the teacher said.

According to numbers provided by the school board, the construction industry in Canada will face a shortfall of roughly 85,500 workers by 2033, while Ontario is projecting a need of more than 100,000 new skilled trades workers over the next decade. Although there are around 1.3-million skilled trades workers in Ontario, around one-third are nearing retirement. In southern Ontario alone, there is a need to replace roughly 10,700 skilled trades workers who will be retiring or leaving the field over the next 10 years.

“There’s a lot of press that says we have a skills gap when it comes to the trades. . . . (and) there’s not enough women in the trades, but what are we doing about it?” Brintnell said.

“We run some programs where we might introduce students to general trades, but here’s an example where young women can come in and actually take courses specific to that trade, and specifically with a class of young women so that they can see and learn from each other.”

That the skilled trades are male-dominated professions is not lost on Goodhue, who said she’s the only young woman in both her auto shop and construction classes.

“So going into an environment where it’s all girls, it just kind of makes you feel like you can actually do something,” she said.

The students attend Conestoga’s Skills Training Centre in Ingersoll on Fridays, and learn both residential and industrial electrical studies. While Shawna Overholt, another South Huron District student, was interested in the skilled trades before starting the program, it gave her a more in-depth look than her high school’s construction class.

“It has provided me more of a sense of what I would be doing in this occupation and what circuits I would be building, and it’s provided me more of a sense of what I would be doing on the job,” she said.

It also helped Overholt feel more welcomed in a male-dominated field, she added.

“It’s a very welcoming environment. Everyone is pretty close, and everyone throughout the program are pretty hard workers. It’s allowing women to feel comfortable in a male-dominated trade . . . because that’s how it is. But they’re starting to open it up to wanting women to be hired in those types of trades and it’s provided confidence for people. I would say that they’re ‘man enough’ to do that sort of occupation,” she said.

The success of the program means the board and the college are looking at running it “over and over again” while a future expansion is possible, Brintnell said.

“When I look at the level of dedication, the expertise, the quality of work that they provide, the teamwork, even the humour in the class, it’s just outstanding.I just think that the future holds a lot if we can just continue to build upon the momentum,” he said.

Credit: Bill Atwood, Stratford Beacon Herald, Post Media

Grade 9 and 10 students from Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School participated in the Taste of the Trades activity at the Durham College Whitby Campus on Monday, October 21. This activity provided students the opportunity to be inspired and engaged through stimulating workshops associated with skilled trades and apprenticeships. Students and their teachers attended two hands-on, 60-minute workshops representing college programs such as Electrical and Carpentry. This experience fostered a connection to college programs and to post-secondary transitions. Taste of the Trades is funded through the School College Work Initiative, a partnership of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Read the quotes below to learn what the students had to say about this experience:

“We really enjoyed the carpentry because we had a lot of hands-on work and we made stuff that we got to keep, we also enjoyed the competition at the end of the day. The electrical was fun and it was satisfying seeing the end of project.”

“Durham College was very fun and as soon as I heard that we are doing electrical I was very excited because that is what I want to do in the future. Everybody was very friendly and awesome, I loved the experience.”

“This event expanded our knowledge in wood working and handling electrical tools. We have learnt how to use a nail gun, build bird houses and decorations in the workshop.”

“Going to Durham College today was a good look into stuff I may want to do in the future. It was really enjoyable and fun learning new skills and doing hands on work with classmates. I got to value the skills of others in an educational environment”

“Durham College was really fun. We did a lot of hands on work. We learned how to connect a light bulb and make a bird house and and Christmas tree. If I had the option of going back and try out more trades I would definitely like that.”

Credit: Credit: Durham Catholic DSB and Durham College

As all 16 Regional Planning Teams grapple with meeting financial targets for cycle 3, their colleagues provided some food for thought at a webinar on October 17th.

Titled “Determining SCWI Programming and Setting RPT Priorities”, the webinar focused on strategies to support decision-making. It began with a discussion of some foundational elements to set RPTs up for success.

Regional Planning Team 10 Co-chair Dan Howard shared a process for creating terms of reference to guide the RPT. The team began by gathering data about who attends meetings, their roles and the purpose of the discussion. The draft terms of reference will be reviewed by the RPT.

“It's about four pages so it doesn't have to be complex,” says Howard. “The key is that we have to realize it's a living document. We're going to establish an annual review process. It will support succession planning because people come and go, and it gives us defined roles which is really important.”

Dan Howard, RPT 10 Co-chair: See 7:44–14:50

Lisa Yee the Coordinator of RPT 4, focused on strategies to improve communication within a Regional Planning Team including calendars, meeting agendas and the use of Prism, a software that links registration for dual credit to reporting. “One of the key things we looked at to improve communication was how we were registering, withdrawing, moving seats and communicating all that information out.” Yee explains. “Prism opens up communication, so boards are able to see student information. We can quickly move seats when we need to. Prism is a tool, we are able to download and share the data.”

Lisa Yee, RPT 4 Coordinator: See 14:52–26:45

The webinar content included the role of data in decision making. The SCWI team reviewed the importance of examining the actuals, retention, and success of programs. The team also raised questions about focusing on the primary target audience, equity within a team and the cost of delivering dual credit programs.

William Howe, SCWI Provincial Data Lead: See 26:47–34:29

Dana Ramsay, the Chair and Coordinator of RPT 13, shared how her team continually reviews student data focusing on the concrete evidence both student and financial data provides. Ramsay also shared how she plans to lead her team through the tough decisions ahead. “We know that we need to reach consensus as a team where it comes to how we're going to make decisions”, Ramsay says. “We will use the data to determine a baseline. I plan to hold board specific meetings to address regional needs and mitigating factors that will allow me to understand what the board pressure points are…then compile this information for the RPT”.

Dana Ramsay, RPT 13 Chair/Coordinator See 34:47–48:12

At RPT 14, Coordinator Colleen McPhee-Millar has created an infographic to support member understanding of data. It includes dual credit enrollment, board graduation rates, board footprint, and the average cost of transportation by school board for dual credit students. “Where are we at? Are we spending money appropriately? That's the question I wanted to answer,” she explains. “It doesn't tell the whole story, but it does keep us in line. This data is foundational for decision making. This is starting conversations in the RPT around how can we provide greater efficiency within that transportation envelope.”

Colleen McPhee Millar, RPT 14 Coordinator: See 48:14–55:43

The SCWI team encourages all Regional Planning Team members to review this webinar to learn from their colleagues. The link to the recording and the PowerPoint slides can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the Essentials Page

Credit: Credit: The cited people and RPTs above and others