Next edition of Supporting Women in Trades conference to be more inclusive

July 4, 2023 | By HPAC Magazine

The first Supporting Equity in the Trades conference will be held in Toronto, May 24-26, 2025.

Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF), a member supported non-profit organization that aims to connect Canada’s apprenticeship community, held its most recent Supporting Women in Trades (SWiT) Conference in Winnipeg, June 10-12, and announced that going forward the group will expand the conference to be more inclusive.

The SWiT initiative, led by CAF, is national in scope and was developed by employers, union groups, educators and equity representatives from multiple trades across the country to create a sustainable and measurable change for women, holding its first SWiT Conference in November 2018 in Halifax.

A stated goal of the initiative includes increasing the percentage of women apprentices and journeypersons among the trades to 15% by 2030, from about 5.3% in 2021. These numbers include trades in construction, manufacturing and transportation.

At the recent 2023 SWiT conference, France Daviault, CEO of CAF, shared news that the organization will expand the mandate of its biennial conference.

A post-event media release from CAF shared Daviault’s comments: “Differently abled, gender diverse and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, Indigenous and racialized people who work in the skilled trades, will benefit from a collective voice. I believe that women in the skilled trades can now lend a hand up and create an inclusive community and network for all those who deserve equitable opportunities and better treatment.”

To include more skilled tradespeople in the national conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion in workplaces, CAF will host its first Supporting Equity in the Trades Conference starting in 2025, with an event being held May 24-26 in Toronto.

caf-fca.org

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