“Our time is now—our rights, our future.” 

October 11, annually
International Day of the Girl is “a day dedicated to celebrating the voices and power of girls, championing their rights worldwide, and reflecting on the challenges they continue to face because of their gender.” (Source) Every year, Skills Ontario celebrates the International Day of the Girl to recognize and inspire girls ages 10-13 across the province to build their skills, conquer boundaries, and explore their pathways. Join us for the Skills Ontario International Day of the Girl Celebration this year – we’re hosting an in-person event and a virtual celebration! Post about your attendance on social media by tagging us at @SkillsOntario and @SkillsYWI and using hashtag #SkillsIDG2023!

Thank you to our Young Women's Initiatives Partners:

 

This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by
the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

      

Crafting Trades Through Animation 

 Submit Your Project

In-Person Celebration - "For Girls, By Girls" Conference

International Day of the Girl – Wednesday, October 4 & 11, 2023

Our “For Girls, by Girls” Conference is designed to celebrate girls! This event provides participants with the opportunity to hear from girls who are taking CO-OP or are in OYAP discuss their perspectives on how they perceive the skilled trades and technologies, why they are choosing to pursue these careers, their favourite tool, and what interests them! Discussions are led by women in the skilled trades.

In-person Events
COST: $30 per student participant

Our 2023 in-person “International Day of the Girl” Celebration Event will take place
Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Registration opens: Tuesday, September 12

Registration

Keynote Presentation by Jasmine Gauthier [Ottawa] and Rokhaya Gueye [Sudbury]

Jasmine Gauthier

Since starting her journey in the electrical field 10 years ago, Jasmine has occupied many different roles. After graduating from the Electrical Engineering program at La Cite and starting a bachelors degrees at University of Montreal, Jasmine soon realised that being on the contractor side was what drove her passion for the electrical trade. Jasmine first started as a Project Coordinator for Sega Electric, where she was shortly promoted to Project Manager. Managing her own project provided her the opportunity to expand her knowledge and understand the world of construction projects.  Jasmine has since been able to achieve many milestones in her career and she is very excited to be able to share this passion with my electrical apprentice students at La Cite, and with everyone she can reach through this great opportunity. 

 Rokhaya Gueye

Rokhaya Gueye is the CEO and Co-Founder of Global Connection Venture, She is a Carpenter and the Chair of the sisters in the Brotherhood Committee of the Carpenters Union Local 27.

She wears many hats: Career Coach, Mentor, Community Organizer, Public Speaker, Interpreter, Outreach Strategist, etc.

 As a community servant, Rokhaya has, for the past 27 years, volunteered her time by working tirelessly to help various non-profit organizations both locally and abroad. Rokhaya’s current and previous work as a volunteer spans several organization. This heart-work includes but is not limited to her being:

• Member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Carpenters Local 27,
• Delegate at the Toronto & York Region Labour Council,
• Ambassador and Mentor at the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN),
• Mentor at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)
• Co-Chair of Oddside Arts Canada
• Founding member and Senior Advisor - Partnerships & Relations at Canada For Africa,

Some of her most cherished heart-work has been her time spent as a mentor/coach with international students, Sponsorship Lead of the Manyatta Network, building playgrounds for children battling critical illnesses with Million Dollar Smiles and her years of service as a crew lead with Habitat for Humanity GTA.    

As an entrepreneur, she is the founder/visionary of “The Women’s Network & Technology” and co-founder of Afya Choices

Rokhaya, a serial entrepreneur, is an accomplished quadrilingual telecommunications executive who has over 20 years of professional experience. Her business savvy, tenacity, moral compass and resilient disposition will surely be characteristics that will lead her to achieve tremendous success on her path forward.  

Her years of selfless servant leadership has not gone unnoticed by others. Rohkaya has been awarded the:

• Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100
• JCA Excellence Award
• NexGen Builders Champion
• Miracle Mom Award,
• Business Impact Award,
• Humanitarian Award,
• Assurance Consultant of the Year,
• Rogers Highest Spirit of the Year,
• Top 100 Women to Watch in Canada,
• Several quarter Awards for Excellence, and has also been nominated for leadership and top performance awards over consecutive years.

Her above-mentioned accomplishments and awards stand out even more when combined with the fact that she has been able to do so much professionally and for the community while being a single mother to two phenomenal young adults.

Rokhaya is passionate about social change, women & youth empowerment, construction, technology, community economic development and philanthropy.

She also fervently believes that, “Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful!’’ ‘Vouloir c’est pouvoir!’

Virtual Celebration

We will be offering a series of virtual events again this year
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 

Virtual Challenge Series

Available Teaching Resources:

The International Day of the Girl – Teaching Guide

International Day of the Girl Activities for Classrooms & Clubs

International Day of the Girl Child Lesson Plan

“A Sit Down with….” – Premier Event: October 4, 2023

Free to attend. Registration required.

Target Audience: Grades 6-8 *Co-ed

IMPORTANT: This event will be offered in English with French subtitles available.

 Watch Here

This virtual event will premiere on Skills Ontario's YouTube channel on Wednesday, October 4 at 10:00 am. This event is ideal for students in grades 6-8. Co-ed welcome!

We are pleased to offer this virtual series dedicated to sitting down with passionate tradeswomen to learn about their journey in the industry. During this one-on-one sit down, we will:

• Introduce young women to a select skilled trade and/or technology career;
• Discuss why we should encourage young women to consider a career in the skilled trades;
• Discuss how to be an advocate and ally for young women in the skilled trades.

Meet:

Dee Durant: Dee Durant is an electrical apprentice working towards her 309A Construction Maintenance electrical license. She is also a KickAss careers ambassador, a co-host of a talk show called Building Resilience on YouTube, and a former Weston scholar. Through her work and volunteerism, she encourages others to consider a career in the skilled trades, understand and end stigmas, and help to create a better workplace environment for all employed within the skilled trades. Dee has worked in a variety of different electrical trade environments and sectors, from the world's largest nuclear power plant to residential sales, services, new builds, and high-rises. Dee has already experienced and learned so much in her young career and although she has a lot more to learn, she is eager to see where the trades will take her career path next.

 Jessica Duquette: Jessica Duquette is a Millwright Apprentice for Vale and a KickAss Careers Ambassador. Jessica has spent the last 6 years working towards her career proving to others that she can do it and paving the way for our future. Jessica has worked at 1 mill, 2 mines, a smelter and nickel refinery where she learned so many skills and met so many good people. Her favorite part about her career is learning new tricks on how to get the job done; some things that work for the crew might not necessarily work for her. Jessica truly can't wait to see how good she can become within the next 25 years of her career.

 Kendra Liinamaa: Kendra Liinamaa is a Millwright Apprentice at Vale and a Kickass Careers Ambassador. She works diligently to break stigma and negative stereotypes about the trades. She's now has the honour of working underground at a Nickle refinery and a smelter for Vale. Prior to that she worked at City Welding. Kendra’s favourite thing about her career is that no day is ever the same, and the learning opportunities are endless. She says it's easy to envision not getting bored of this job for another 30 years, and the opportunities to grow are endless

 Mira Polski: Mira decided at 5 years old that construction was for her and never looked back! Mira took many high school shop courses and earned her college diploma from Conestoga College (Renovation Technician program). Now she is a carpenters apprentice working for a local contractor in the Waterloo region.

*Check out last year’s “A Sit Down with… Plumber Paige”

YouTube: https://skillsontario.jotform.com/232324829773867

Meet Paige: Paige Knowles is a trades advocate and public speaker, as well as a new business owner. Since graduating from the plumbing and heating lab in high school, she has enrolled in a local community college for construction management. Her goal is to end the stigma around the construction industry and get more people to consider a career in the skilled trades. She does this by creating books like "Plumber Paige - Let's Replace a Shower Head" and "Plumber Paige - Let's Fix a Running Toilet" to tell students that they can do jobs in their own homes. You can follow Paige and her story on social media platforms (Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) @plumber_paige 

Check out Plumber Paige's books!

Link to purchase

Link to purchase

Virtual Workshop & Challenge – Premier Event: October 4, 2023

Free to attend. Registration Required.

Target Audience: Grades 6- 8 *Co-Ed

Scope  Tutorial

Congratulations to our International Day of the Girl Virtual Challenge Series Winners!
Please help us in congratulating our winners:

1^st place: Submission by Arora B. – Beaver Brea Secondary School
2^nd place: Submission by Torri – Beaver Brea Secondary School
3^rd place: Submission by Dylan B. – Beaver Brea Secondary School

Crafting Trades Through Animation

Join us for an exciting virtual adventure on Skills Ontario's International Day of the Girl! In our innovative workshop, "Crafting Trades Through Animation," elementary students will dive into the world of stop-motion animation using Google Slides or PowerPoint. In this workshop, young minds will embark on a creative journey, selecting a skilled trade as their subject. They'll become researchers, exploring fascinating careers on the Skills Ontario website. Then, armed with newfound knowledge, they'll craft a short stop-motion animation that unveils the intricacies of their chosen trade. From job descriptions to required training and education, these animations will provide a dynamic glimpse into the world of skilled trades. Get ready to blend technology, education, and creativity in a workshop that promises to ignite curiosity and inspire future tradespeople.

Virtual Challenge Series – October 4, 2023

Free to participate!

Target Audience: Grades 6 – 8 *Co-Ed

Congratulations! We had a huge number of submissions for our International Day of the Girl Virtual Challenge Series!
Please help us in congratulating our winners:

Construction: Wire Quilts

1^st place: Submission created by Ashleen S. – Earnscliffe Senior Public School

2^nd place: Submission created by Nishtha P. - Earnscliffe Senior Public School

3^rd place: Submission created by Gurshan R. - Earnscliffe Senior Public School

Industrial: 3D Electrical Installation

1^st place: Submission created by Abdur & Srika – Earnscliffe Senior Public School

2^nd place: Submission created by Marufa & Annie - Earnscliffe Senior Public School

3^rd place: Submission created by Aditi & Ananthy - Earnscliffe Senior Public School

Service: Rice Krispy Cake Pops

1^st place: Submission created by Cassandra S. - St.Marguerite D’Youville S.S

*** 

Construction Challenge: Wire Quilts
Challenge Inspiration: https://www.pinterest.ca/search/pins/?q=wire%20quilts&rs=typed

Scope

Skilled Trade being featured: Reinforcing Rodworker / Ironworker

A Reinforcing roadworker reinforces a wide variety of concrete construction including but not limited to buildings, landscape features, parking garages, caissons, highways, bridges, wind turbines, stadiums and towers by reinforcing steel, composite materials, welded wire mesh, post-tensioning systems and any other concrete reinforcement*

Submission Deadline: Friday, October 20

Industrial Challenge: Electrical Installation [available in both 2D or 3D]
Challenge Inspiration: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/438397344994778050/ / https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/701083867006727502/

Scope

Skilled Trade being featured: Electrician [residential / industrial]

An Electrician – Construction & Maintenance plans, assembles, connects, installs, repairs, inspects, tests, verifies, and maintains electrical systems in various settings (i.e. residential, commercial, institutional, industrial). Electrical systems include heating, lighting, power, communication, control, security systems and renewable energy and energy storage systems*

Submission Deadline: Friday, October 20

Motive Power Challenge: Geometric Automotive Art
Challenge Inspiration: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/109353097195172931/

Scope
Skilled Trade being featured: Automotive Painter

An Automotive Painter works on the surface of motor vehicles and restores vehicles finishes, including removing exterior trim and hardware, matching colours and mixing paints, and preparing surfaces for painting*

Submission Deadline: Friday, October 20

Service Challenge: Rice Krispy Cake Pops
Challenge Inspiration: https://www.pinterest.ca/search/pins/?q=rice%20krispy%20cake%20pops&rs=typed

Scope
Skilled Trade being featured: Baker-Patissier

A Baker-Patissier prepares and bakes pies, tarts, squares, bread, rolls, cookies, cakes and other items for commercial and retail establishments as well as restaurants*

Submission Deadline: Friday, October 20

*Source: Skilled Trades Ontario

If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay at lchester@skillsontario.com.