Okanagan College celebrated 1,000 students that came out of its Women in Trades Training (WITT) program yesterday.
The 12-week program is meant to help increase the number of female apprentices in B.C.
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“Our government is committed to cultivating winning conditions to support women in the trades,” said the Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.
“We need to move the dial for women in all areas of the trades. Okanagan College’s Women in Trades Training Program is creating a pathway to boost the number of certified trades people to help meet the growing labour-market demand.”
The program has been available since 2009 and in that time has trained around 100 women a year in exploratory trades programs as well as foundation pre-apprenticeships. The session exposes women to the tools of five or six different trades, allowing them to find which trade best suits their skills.
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“I needed options. I needed guidance. I needed something that would help me find my own identity again,” said Johanna Turangan-Grieve, a former participant of the program and now a fourth-year carpenter apprentice. “Women in Trades did exactly that and so much more.
“This program highlights the power and importance of sisterhood. The bonds that I have made with my classmates and many other fellow women in trades throughout my journey has been very powerful for me.”
Applications for the program are still being accepted for the fall semester at Okanagan College’s Kelowna and Vernon campuses.
More information can be found here.
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