Photo Shoot Celebrates Achievements of Newcomer, Racialized, and LGBTQ Women In WEST’s first Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program
Windsor, ON – Newcomer, racialized, and LGTBQ women took part in a photo shoot at St. Clair College to celebrate achieving the program’s training goals.
St. Clair College President, Patti France, Unifor Local 444 President, Dave Cassidy, WEST Executive Director, Rose Anguiano Hurst, and WEST Board President, Nadine ManroeWakerell congratulated the women for taking steps to explore careers in the skilled trades in order to meet the evolving labour market needs and skills shortage.
“Few of our partnerships and our experiences with students have been as inspiring as our long-standing involvement with WEST,” said St. Clair College President Patti France. “There are many positive elements to our relationship with the organization and these students: women in non-traditional STEM fields, their post-graduation success in the employment market, and the life-changing difference their educations have made for them and their families.”
The Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Women is led by Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor, Inc. (WEST) in partnership with St. Clair College. WEST’s leadership team arranged for the photo shoot to capture the participants in action onsite as they acquire skills, tools, and the use of machinery essential to their 10-week work placement and longterm career aspirations to become electrical apprentices.
Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development sent a congratulatory message to the participants: “When you are an electrician, you have an indemand job for life,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “This great program is opening doors for women, helping them begin rewarding careers in the skilled trades so they can earn bigger pay cheques for themselves and their families.”
The Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Women is funded by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development under the Skills Development Fund.
WEST’s Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship Program provides free tuition, and paid placements to help women develop, technical skills and employment in the skilled trades sector. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for employers and journey persons to create more inclusive workplace settings and better future retention of women in a traditionally male-dominated workforce.
A 6-session series of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training will be delivered to the participants virtually from August 4 – September 8, 2022.