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An important component of the Women’s Voice community engagement project was to determine the challenges, barriers, and stereotypes about women in the trades. One of the key perceptions shared by many women who participated in the survey was that women lack confidence to work as tradespersons. In order to gain confidence, women in trades or interested in trades suggested that the practical side of training needs to be emphasized, and a mentorship program and community network is required to be created and maintained for women at all phases of their career. This network should include apprentices, journeypersons, entrepreneurs, career counsellors, union representatives, instructors, government agencies, business associations, community associations, non-profit organizations, and schools, just to mention a few. Women who were drawn to work in the trades described income as what interested them the most; survey respondents also indicated that the least appealing characteristics about the trades were the environmental hazards and working conditions.

Watch for Part Two…