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Ontario Tradeswomen Committee offering support, resources, and advocacy for gender diversity in the trades 🦺
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09/01/2026
We're proud to share that the Ontario Building & Construction Tradeswomen's 2025 Research Report has been cited in Toronto Metropolitan University's recent report, Progress of Women in the Skilled Trades. This recognition highlights the importance of evidence-based advocacy and the experiences of tradeswomen across Ontario. Our work continues to help inform conversations around recruitment, retention, workplace culture, and advancement for women in the skilled trades. Thank you to everyone who contributed their voices, experiences, and expertise to this important research.
Read the TMU report: https://www.torontomu.ca/diversity/reports/women-in-trades/
Read the OBCT 2025 Research Report: https://www.obctradeswomen.com/2025-survey
08/27/2026
🚨 TRADESWOMEN: Ready for your next step?
Applications are now open for the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s National Leadership Development Program September 2026 cohort!
Designed for women and gender-diverse individuals who are certified journeypersons or in the final year of their apprenticeship, the four-month program covers:
⭐ Leadership
💬 Communication
🤝 Teamwork & Conflict Resolution
👷 Supervisory Skills
🧠 Mental Health & Well-Being
You’ve built the skills. Now keep building your leadership. 💪
👉 Learn more and apply ▶️ https://bit.ly/4xiP2co
Tag a tradeswoman who should see this! 👇
08/25/2026
🚨 REMINDER: ADAH TRAINING TONIGHT!
Join us tonight, Tuesday, August 25 for OBCT’s virtual Anti-Discrimination & Anti-Harassment (ADAH) Training. 👷♀️👷♂️
💻 Virtual | 🕕 6:00 PM
There’s still time to register! 👉 Register here: https://www.obctradeswomen.com/events
08/21/2026
🔨 Representation matters — especially when you get to put the tools in their hands!
We’re proud to see OBCT member Desiree T. Smith sharing her skills and experience with the next generation through Clubhouse.
A Double in Floor Installation and Tile Setting, Desiree has been helping girls and gender-diverse youth explore the skilled trades through hands-on projects — from building bookshelves to learning tile-setting techniques. Her goal? Show young people that there is absolutely a place for them in the . 🛠️💪
As Desiree says: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t belong.”
👉 Read Desiree’s CAGIS interview: https://bit.ly/4qtBUOT
📣 UPCOMING ADAH TRAINING — LET’S CHAT!
Respectful workplaces don’t happen by accident — we all have a role to play.
Join OBCT for an upcoming Anti-Discrimination & Anti-Harassment (ADAH) virtual training session and learn practical ways to recognize bias, challenge discrimination and harassment, and help build safer, more inclusive jobsites.
📅 August 25 | 6:00–7:30 PM ** NEW DATE **
📅 September 21 | 6:00 PM
📅 October 21 | 6:00 PM
💻 Virtual
Training is open to construction workers in Ontario.
👉 Register for an upcoming ADAH session: https://bit.ly/4qpFA4g
Better jobsites start with better conversations. Let’s Chat. 👷♀️👷♂️
✨ Did you know? ✨
According to the 2025 OBCT Recruitment and Retention Report, 54% of tradeswomen entered the trades after the age of 25, indicating that women are open to transition into trades when they learn about opportunities! 👩🔧
Many tradeswomen highlighted that they lacked exposure to the trades in high school and only discovered opportunities later on in their careers through friends or family! 💪
When did you discover the skilled trades? Let us know below! 👇
🛠️ In Order to Be It, You Gotta See It!
This week, we spoke with Gabrielle Derouchie as part of , a high school senior soon-to-be Student at Fleming College! 👷♀️
Gabrielle will be attending Fleming College for their Carpentry & Renovation Technician program this fall. She explains, "I decided to get into the trades because I’ve always loved helping my dad out with projects around the house and learning how to use different tools. My inspiration is my determination to prove people wrong and showing younger girls that they can be whatever they want to be." ✨
As a young , Gabrielle shares the greatest benefit and challenge, saying, "The greatest benefit is knowing that you’re capable of pushing the barriers of gender norms. The greatest challenge is finding workwear that fits your body and brings you confidence." ✊
07/13/2026
The long-awaited summer is finally here! ☀️
Fresh air and sunshine can make the workday feel a whole lot brighter, but summer on the job also comes with its own safety risks. From dehydration to sunburns, a little preparation can go a long way in keeping yourself safe while enjoying the season. 🧊😎
Share your best summer safety tip in the comments below! 👇
07/10/2026
Samantha is loving life as a Hydrovac/Flusher Combo Truck Operator & Shop Manager! 🚛
The dynamic nature of her work brings different challenges for her to solve every day! 💫
What’s your favourite part of the job? 🔨
🛠️ In Order to Be It, You Gotta See It!
This week, we spoke with Selina Altseimer as part of , a with Carpenters Local 27! 👷♀️
Selina shares how she became a , saying, "My fiancé got a business agent's card and he told me to get into the trades. He wanted me to do rebar with him, but I didn't think I'd be able to handle it. I believed carpentry would be a better fit and now I do insulated panels, which is funny because my dad did insulation his whole life." 💪
As a Carpenter, Selina explains the benefits and challenges: "The greatest benefits are a great team and enjoying the people you work with every day! No one wants to go to work and dread working with those people all day. Finding a good crew of people that treat you like family is a huge benefit! The greatest challenges that I face are being a woman on site and men assuming that I don't know anything or that my male coworkers have the information they are looking for when in reality, it's mostly me that can answer their questions as a Lead Hand. I have all the information and timelines and blueprints, but being overlooked as just a woman on site is a huge challenge." 🪚
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