About the Centre
News/Media

For Immediate Release

March 16, 2010

Burlington, ON: Katherine Kennie was fresh out of the Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) Enhanced General Carpentry program at The Centre for Skills Development & Training and looking for her first job. When she called a construction company about a framing job, the owner asked her if she knew he was framing houses—not pictures.

“I wish I could tell you that everyone in the industry thinks that women should be working in the field, but some attitudes still need changing,” says Katherine, who is a graduate of the program and winner of the RESCON Scholarship Award in 2009. “I hope that many of the WIST graduates each year are a driving force in changing people’s attitudes about female construction workers.”

Today, Katherine is a full-time employee at Fusion Homes in Guelph, where she is praised for her skills and work ethic. She is just one of many women who are working towards rewarding careers in the skilled trades. Women who enter the WIST program at The Centre get more than the technical skills needed to succeed in the industry; they gain the confidence to step into a career path that is still traditionally male-dominated.

“The women who go through the WIST program never fail to impress, whether through their talent, their ability to work as part of a team, or their dedication to community service—all of which the 2009 class proved by helping to build the new deck and shed at Carey House in Burlington last summer,” says Kathy Mills, Chief Administrative Officer at The Centre. “Thanks to WIST funders and partners, these women have access to unlimited possibilities in the future.”

“The McGuinty government's Open Ontario plan is about creating new opportunities for jobs and future economic growth,” said Laurel Broten, Ontario Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. “We are pleased to support the Women in Skilled Trades program, which enables Ontario's women to gain economic independence and build promising futures for themselves and their families.”

The Centre for Skills Development & Training is now accepting applications to the 2010 Enhanced General Carpentry program, which is funded by the Government of Ontario, and offered in partnership with Mohawk College/STARRT Institute, RESCON (Residential Construction Council of Ontario), and the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

The program accepts up to 22 women each year. Eligible students receive funding from the Government of Ontario for tuition, books, tools and equipment. The course features 28 weeks of in-class training in construction techniques and theory, including a four-week plumbing module at Mohawk College/STARRT Institute. The Centre’s staff provide job search assistance to WIST graduates, for as long as it takes for the graduate to find employment.

The Enhanced General Carpentry program begins on April 12, 2010, in Burlington, and space is still available. Women with an interest in carpentry are invited to attend a free information session about the program. To find out about the next session, or to register, visit www.thecentre.on.ca, or call 905-333-3499 (1-888-315-8821) ext. 121.

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, services for newcomers, employment services, corporate development services, and academic upgrading. The Centre offers its programs at locations in Burlington, Georgetown, Malton, Milton, Mississauga and Oakville.

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Contact: Nancy Moore, Manager, Skilled Trades and Employment Services 905-333-3499, ext. 110 | mooren@thecentre.on.ca

Alternate Contact: Maria McDonald, Manager, Communications 905-333-3499 ext. 135 | mcdonaldm@thecentre.on.ca

The Centre for Skills Development & Training
860 Harrington Court, Burlington, ON L7N 3N4
www.thecentre.on.ca