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For Immediate Release

August 23, 2007

Scholarships presented to women in skilled trades program

Working in construction was a dream come true for Susan Bruce. Through the Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program at The Centre for Skills Development & Training in Burlington, she was given the opportunity to hone her knowledge and test her skills in Enhanced General Carpentry, a training program geared especially to women. Her efforts paid off last Wednesday when she was one of five women to receive scholarships from local supporting partners of The Centre.

Bruce, as well as Yvonne Williams and Lori Richard, were awarded scholarships from Athena Oakville, an international organization recognizing mentors of women. Tasha Simpson won a scholarship from The Company of Women, which provides networking events for entrepreneurial women, and Natasha Poplawski won a scholarship from RESCON, an association supporting skilled labour in the residential building industry. Award winners were chosen for their academic accomplishments, skills application, and leadership qualities.

The Women in Skilled Trades program, a tuition-paid program for 20 participants, trains women for a rewarding career in the construction industry with 30 weeks of in-class/on-site instruction and a 16-week work placement. Following graduation, women can enter a variety of highly skilled and high demand apprenticeships and positions in new home construction, renovation work, and management.

The Centre for Skills Development & Training is a leading provider of quality career and workforce development programs, products and services specializing in Pre-Apprenticeship Trades and Technology, Career Planning and Development and Language Skills and Academic Upgrading.

For more information about the Women in Skilled Trades Program, call 905-333-3499, ext.121, email trades@thecentre.on.ca or visit www.thecentre.on.ca.

The Centre for Skills Development & Training is a leading provider of quality career and workforce development programs, products and services specializing in Pre-Apprenticeship Trades and Technology, Career Planning and Development and Language Skills and Academic Upgrading.