By Matthew Le Blanc
Feb 6, 2023
A key figure in educating the province’s trade and technology sector is hoping a new partnership will strengthen female representation in the welding industry.
The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology has partnered with the CWB Welding Foundation to host a new initiative called The Women of Steel: Forging Forward program.
The south Winnipeg-based institute is one of 14 places that will be hosting the program across Canada.
The Women of Steel: Forging Forward program will run for 16 weeks from Feb. 27 to June 23.
“This program empowers women, and it reduces barriers to employment,” said Bev Stuart, MITT’s vice-president of business and organizational development, who is also the organization’s current interim president and chief executive officer. “This speaks to the needs of the different groups we’re targeting. It’s all about inclusivity.”
Such groups, Stuart said, include all those who identify as a woman and/or non-binary, including those from designated equity groups including Indigenous, BIPOC, newcomers, 2SLGBTQIA+, women with disabilities, or those with a prolonged detachment from the labour force. Individuals in any of these groups are encouraged to apply for the program.
Stuart — a former longtime St. Vital resident who also coached soccer and softball at Dakota Community Centre — said the program includes practical theory, hands-on welding training, and skills development in a safe and supportive environment with a flexible schedule.
The need for the program is amplified by the fact that more trades people across the country are looking to retire, which means more career opportunities in the welding industry are becoming available.
“Right now, women make up only four per cent of the workforce in the welding field, so this program is a great way to explore the occupation and welding-related careers,” she said, adding welding is a well-paying, stable career choice offering many options for women.”
The program will run for 16 weeks from Feb. 27 to June 23. In-person training will be held at MITT’s Henlow Campus, which is located at 130 Henlow Bay. The last three weeks of this will be in the form of a practicum.
The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology has partnered with the CWB Welding Foundation to host a new initiative called The Women of Steel: Forging Forward program.
“The practicum, effectively, will be a three-week work interview where the individual will have the chance to shine in front of an employer,” Stuart said.
Go online at mitt.ca/womenofsteel for more information.
Article courtesy of Winnipeg Free Press by Simon Fuller