CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Workshop shares tips for success from women working in the skilled trades

Two women working in the skilled trades industry shared tips on how to thrive in the trades and create a better environment for more diversity during a recent RBC Trades Leadership Toolbox workshop at the Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus in Cambridge.

The free workshop series was launched as a pilot in 2024 by Conestoga's Talent Hub with funding from RBC to educate and prepare people seeking careers within the skilled trades. The focus is on soft skills, such as communication, organization and teamwork, to ready skilled trades students for success in the workforce.

Conestoga is committed to fostering and enhancing women's participation and success in traditionally male-dominated fields through the ETT4W (Engineering, Technology, and Trades for Women) initiative.

ETT4W programming includes Teens Try Trades, Girls with Tools and Toast, student mixers, Go ENG Girl and Go CODE Girl. ETT4W also supports Jill of all Trades and the Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program at Conestoga.

The April 3 workshop titled "Trades for Everyone: Tools for Inclusion" explored ways to encourage underrepresented groups to get involved in the trades and approaches for success by guests Marissa Trussler, recruiter for millwrighting and fabrication company Bullet Trade Services, and Charlotte Verge, general carpenter by trade and manager of Speed River Contracting.

Both suggested finding mentors to help navigate the challenges women face in the trades, and a good way to do that is through networking at events or online. Women on Site, for instance, is focused on networking, mentorship and community building to ensure the retention of a diverse workforce.

Connecting with other women in the trades is an invaluable resource, from providing encouragement and advice to practical matters such as where to find clothing and PPE that fit women. 

Ensuring access to appropriate clothing and equipment for a diverse workforce is a focus at Conestoga's Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness & Performance (CISWP), which is creating a database that will support inclusion in the workplace by providing invaluable information to manufacturers. The institute goal is to research and identify practical solutions to address Canada's labour shortage by reducing workplace injuries and creating safer, more sustainable and inclusive workplaces.

The panellists encouraged students to be confident and set boundaries when on the job, adding that they may need to educate others about what is appropriate to help engrain a good work culture that is welcoming to all.

"Those small acts to me are the things that will step by step infiltrate and become standard," Verge said.

The best approach is to be a confident and competent worker who shows interest in learning, including when working alongside other tradespeople. Be curious and ask questions. 

"You are exposed to so much information. It is a phenomenal resource," Verge said. "Absorb as much of that information as possible because it only makes you better at your job."

Trussler urged the students to not be discouraged trying to find a workplace that's the right fit, but rather to see each job as an opportunity to learn new skills and take a step forward - the same as any career.

"Every place is a stepping stone," Trussler said. "You will find that company one day where it clicks."

Conestoga's Talent Hub is a one-stop virtual and in-person service and support hub for career and employment advising, co-op and work-integrated learning. The Talent Hub assists students, alumni, and community job seekers at all stages of their career and employment journey. For industry and employers, the Talent Hub offers various services including mentorship, co-op experiences, job fairs, recruitment and more.

Visit the School of Trades & Apprenticeship to learn more about trades training at Conestoga.