Calendar
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.
Annual Calendar of Events
|
Dates |
Event | Audience |
| March 8 (annually) | International Women's Day Events |
Students in grades 6-12 and |
| May | Young Women's Conferences | Grades 6-12 |
| September - June | Skilled Trade & Technology Days for Young Women |
Grades 7-10 |
| October 11 (annually) | 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 Employment Ontario program is funded in part by
the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
Program Partners
Skilled Trade & Tech Days for Young Women
Skills Ontario is proud to present a series of Skilled Trade & Tech Days (formally Career Exploration Events) once again for young women in senior elementary and secondary school. These events provide young women the opportunity to explore a variety of skilled trade and technology careers through hands-on workshops while networking with women in the skilled trades. Hosted across the province, young women will have the opportunity to gain practical experience and valuable information to make informed decisions about their future.
In-Person Events
Audience: Grades 7-10
Fee: $25.00
Back for the 2022-23 school year, Skills Ontario is proud to be hosting our popular in-person events! Young women will have to opportunity to travel to a local college or industry location to learn about skilled trades and technology careers! During the event, young women will:
- Gain an understanding of what skilled trade and technology careers are out there and why they are important;
- Learn about different careers in the skilled trades and technologies;
- Learn about and try different day-to-day activities preformed in a skilled trade and technology career while participating in a variety of hands-on workshops.
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 once participants are confirmed.
Virtual Events
Audience: Grades 6-8
Fee: $15.00
Back by popular demand, Skills Ontario is proud to continue hosting our virtual Skilled Trade & Tech Days! These events are open to all students in grades 6-8 and provide participants the opportunity to learn about a variety of careers in the skilled trades and technologies while participating in a virtual hands-on workshop of choice! Please note these workshops will be done at your own pace. During these events, participants will:
- Gain an understanding of what skilled trade and technology careers are out there and why they are important;
- Learn about different careers in the skilled trades and technologies;
- Learn what is means to be an ally in the skilled trades and technologies;
- Learn about and try a hands-on activity connected to various industries in the skilled trades and technologies.
IMPORTANT: Events are hosted on Google Meets and allow for co-ed participation. Each event will still be allocated a “location” as previous years. This is navigational to school boards/colleges.
Virtual Skilled Trade & Tech Workshop offerings *More information to come*
Important: Each workshop will have a maximum capacity per event
School/Student Registration:
Teachers and board contacts are to register students in grades 7-10.
FEES
There will be a participation fee for the 2022-23 school year.
- In-person ST&T Days: $25.00 per student and teacher participant
- Virtual: $15.00 per student and teacher participant
HOW REGISTRATION WORKS
In-person
Each teacher or Board contact will register a group of young women for their choice of event. For all “regional events”, if a co-host is listed, workshops will be based off their programming/campus offerings. Please keep in a mind that each location will have a maximum capacity.
After registering, you will either receive a confirmation email confirming your total number of spaces or a waitlist email. If you are placed on a waitlist, you will only be contacted if a space becomes available.
Virtual
Each Teacher or Board contact will register a group of students [entire class/cohort/bubble] as one (1) ticket for the virtual 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.
Regional Event Offering
Below is a list of our Skilled Trades and Tech Day event offerings. 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 in-person Skilled Trades and Tech Days for Young Women will start at 10:00 am and wrap-up by 2:00 pm, unless otherwise noted in the flyer. All virtual Skilled Trades and Tech Days will start at 9:30 am with the formal program wrapped-up by 10:15 am, followed by a self-paced virtual workshop. All times noted are in EST.
| Date | Region | Location | Target Audience |
Flyer |
| Tuesday, November 15, 2022 | Dryden |
Dryden Regional Training & Cultural Centre |
Gr. 7-10 | Flyer |
| Friday, November 18, 2022 | Thunder Bay |
Carpenter’s & Joiner’s Local 1669 |
Gr. 7-10 | Flyer |
| Wednesday, December 14, 2022 | Eastern Ontario |
(Private Event) |
Gr. 7-8 | Flyer |
| Thursday, March 2, 2023 | Whitby |
Durham College, 1610 Champlain Ave. Whitby, ON |
Gr. 7-10 | Flyer |
| Monday, April 24, 2023 | Peterborough |
Fleming College, 599 Brealey Drive, Peterborough, ON |
Gr. 7-10 | Flyer |
| Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | Lindsay | Fleming College, 200 Albert Street, Lindsay, ON | Gr. 7-10 | Flyer |
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 Speaker and/or a Workshop Leader
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.
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 |
|
| 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 Trades and Technology Information Event |
November 5, 2022 9:00 am (EST) |
Georgian College | Flyer | Register here |
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.
