CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Jill of All Trades to receive $100,000 grant from Rideau Hall Foundation

Conestoga has been selected to receive a $100,000 grant from the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) to support the Jill of all Trades program. The funding will be provided through the RHF's Catapult Canada Learning and Capacity Building Fund, which provides annual grants to registered charities and non-profits aimed at improving equity of learning access for youth and addressing systemic gaps in the education system.

Conestoga founded Jill of All Trades in 2014, hosting workshops and providing supports that give young women in grades 9 through 12 the opportunity for hands-on experience in the skilled trades and learn more about the potential of a trades career from female mentors.

"We greatly appreciate the investment made by the Rideau Hall Foundation to bring the Jill of All Trades program to more young women across Canada," said Rosie Hessian, director, Jill of All Trades.

"The program helps create awareness of the opportunities that exist and advocates for women to diversify the workforce and help address the shortage of skilled trades workers."

Jill of All Trades events began expanding to campuses across Canada in fall 2022, and made their debut in the United States in 2023. The funding will assist with Conestoga's plan to expand the program to 25 campuses across Canada and 20 in the United States by 2026, delivering more than 120 events that engage close to 50,000 participants.

Conestoga is a leader in skilled trades training for women. Through gender-specific programs and mentoring opportunities such as Jill of All Trades, the college encourages women to pursue careers in under-represented and non-traditional occupations.

For more information, visit the School of Trades & Apprenticeship or the Jill of All Trades website.