Young Women's Initiatives
Skills Ontario’s Young Women’s Initiatives is a collection of engaging and hands-on events and programs that provide skills development and mentorship opportunities to young women.
Parent/Guardian Information Events International Women's Day Conference International Day of the Girl Activity Series GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ 2021 Attempt Event
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Annual Calendar of Events
Dates |
Event | Audience |
March | International Women's Day Events |
Conference: Students in grades 11-12 and Workshop: Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 |
May | Young Women's Conferences | Grades 6-12 |
September - June | Career Exploration Events | Grades 7-12 |
October | International Day of the Girl Activity Series | Grades 5-8 |
December - May | Grades 7-12 students and their parents/guardians |
Thank you to our Young Women's Initiatives Partners:
This program is funded by the Government of Ontario.
Program Partners
Skills Ontario Career Exploration Events
Career Exploration Events – Daytime Student
Skills Ontario is proud to once again present a series of Career Exploration Events for young women in senior elementary and secondary school. These events provide participants the opportunity to integrate experiential workshops and networking with mentors. We will be hosting our programming in a virtual format for the 2021-22 school year until further notice.
Going virtual has allowed us to reach a larger audience and to offer more spaces. This has allowed full co-ed classes as well as young women to learn about the skilled trades and technologies! We know this year will be another challenging year and we strive to keep everything as simple and consistent as possible as we all continue to navigate working around COVID-19. For this year’s events, we will be posting event dates and workshop specifics as events are secured, providing a detailed event agenda for each event.
Events are hosted on Google Meets and do allow for co-ed participation in order to follow school policies where classes are unable to divide. Each event will still be allocated a “location” as previous years. This is navigational to school boards/colleges.
Below is a list of our Young Women’s regional 2020/21 event offerings we will have detail available as the events are solidified so that we can provide a full overview of the event.
NOTE – Once a date is secured, it will be posted online and will not change unless an unforeseen circumstance occurs. At that time, a notice will be posted to our website and all registered participants will be notified. All event details will be updated as each date is secured in the chart below. Please note all Career Exploration Events start at 9:30 am and wrap up at 11:30 am, unless otherwise noted in the flyer.
*New this year fully francophone events - dates to come.
Virtual Region | Grades | Co-host | Date | Flyer |
Thunder Bay | 7-12 | Confederation College | October 27th | View Flyer |
Barrie | 7-12 | Georgian College | December 2nd | View Flyer |
Guelph | 7-12 | Conestoga College | December 3rd | View Flyer |
Sault Ste. Marie | 7-12 | Sault College | December 16th | View Flyer |
Open | 7-12 | Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada | January 13th | View Flyer |
Belleville | 7-12 | Loyalist College | February 9th | View Flyer |
Sudbury | 7-12 | Cambrian College | February 10th | View Flyer |
Ottawa | 7-12 | Algonquin College | February 24th | View Flyer |
Eastern Ontario | 7-12 | La Cité | February 25th | Recording |
Brampton | 7-12 | Sheridan College | March 2nd | View Flyer |
Whitby | 7-12 | Durham College | March 3rd | View Flyer |
Eastern Ontario | 5 & 6 Francophone |
PAJO | June 8th | Recording |
School/Student Registration
Events will be free and any that require a registration fee, will be listed with the event date/register button.
IMPORTANT: In select events, some workshops may require an informed consent form to be signed by the parent/ guardian depending on the workshop activity. This will be indicated with the event.
Teachers and board contacts are to register students in grades 7-12.
How Registration Works
Each Teacher or Board contact will register an entire class/cohort/bubble as one (1) ticket for the regional event they choose. In the “regional” events, if a co-host is listed, workshops will be based off their programming/campus. The region you select does not have to be the region closest to your school board.
One ticket allows for one device to join the event. This link is NOT to be shared. Each event has a maximum number of devices that can log on. Teachers are asked to share their screen with their class, either in-person in a classroom (i.e. from a projector or TV hooked up to their device) and/or in a virtual classroom by screen sharing. If a teacher has a class/cohort/bubble that is a combination of in-person and virtual students, we recommend that the device is connected to a projector or TV at the front of the class, while also logged into the virtual classroom and screensharing. If this is not possible to share in this recommended option, please contact lchester@skillsontario.com – we are happy to discuss different options!
This system allows the most opportunities for students to join and attend each individual event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email - this will not include the link to the event. A few days prior to the event you registered for, another email with the link to access Google Meets will be sent to you. Again, please ensure that this link is not shared.
If you have any questions, please contact lchester@skillsontario.com.
Register a Guest
A guest is classified as a dignitary, community partner, sponsor, or other interested party who is not part of a school registration. Please email ywc@skillsontario.com to register.
Becoming a Mentor and/or Hosting a Workshop
Are you a woman who works in the skilled trades and technologies and looking to share your experience and skilled trade and technology? Volunteer as a mentor or to host a workshop at one of our events! Email ywc@skillsontario.com.
*NEW* Parent/Guardian Skilled Trade & Technology Information Series
Join us for a six-part series connecting high school programs to apprenticeships to employers, while engaging in thought-provoking conversations that challenge the stigmas behind careers in skilled trades and technologies.
Throughout these events, Parents/Guardians will have the opportunity to learn about the options that are available to youth starting in high school with OYAP (Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program) to what programs are available in college within a specific sector and what partnerships exist between local high schools/colleges and employers. Learn about OYAP, explore local colleges, hear from employers, and more! Each event will also feature a “101 with Milwaukee” segment exploring different tools of the trades.
While these events are geared towards young women in grades 7-10 and their parents/guardians, all are welcome!
Topic | Date & Time | Co-host(s) | Flyer | Registration |
An Introduction to Women In Trades |
December 7, 2021 5 pm (EST) |
Conestoga College, Milwaukee, OYAP |
Flyer | |
A Focus on the Construction Sector |
January 25, 2022 5 pm (EST) |
OYAP, Milwaukee, Fleming College |
Flyer | Watch the recording here |
A Focus on the Industrial Sector |
February 22, 2022 5 pm (EST) |
Milwaukee, OYAP, Fleming College and Linamar |
Flyer | Watch the recording here |
A Focus on the Service Sector |
April 27, 2022 5 pm (EST) |
Milwaukee, OYAP, Durham Hairstylist Academy, Confederation College, and Loyalist College |
Watch the recording here |
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A Focus on the Motive Power Sector |
April 26, 2022 5 pm (EST) |
Milwaukee, OYAP, Tropicana Employment Centre, Centennial College, TTC |
Flyer | Watch the recording here |
Parent/Guardian Skilled Trade & Technology Information Event (for Simcoe-Muskoka and Simcoe County school boards) |
TBA | Georgian College |
Coming Soon |
Coming Soon |
Women in Trades Resource Hub
Collaborating Organizations
Skills Ontario is on the forefront of making change in our province! We are thrilled to be partnering with women in skilled trade and technology organizations and groups to stand together and make an impact. We are united with the same goals and initiatives and will promote exciting opportunities for women through skill development, mentorship, networking, and experiential learning opportunities at our Young Women’s Career Exploration Events and Young Women’s Conference.