The City of Barrie and Simcoe County are working on getting more women interested in the skilled trades, with two events designed to inform women about careers in manufacturing.
The events are hosted in part by the Muskoka Workforce Development Board, Georgian College and the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe. They will take place in Midland on Nov. 22 and in Barrie on Nov. 30.
“Manufacturing is a key sector in Barrie and the surrounding area. In general, women are under-represented in this industry, providing a great opportunity to grow the workforce in a high-skilled sector,” says Stephannie Schlichter, director of economic and creative development at the City of Barrie.
The two events will highlight the different opportunities and career paths available in manufacturing while celebrating local women already working in this industry and allowing them to share experiences.
Organizers say they hope the events inspire women to pursue careers in manufacturing in Simcoe County.
Between July and September 2021, there were more than 330,000 unfilled jobs in Ontario, many of which were in the skilled trades.
“Attracting more women into manufacturing professions is not only critical to help companies grow and replace their aging workforce, it provides women with careers that are high tech and highly skilled,” said Nancy Huether, director of economic development and airport services for the County of Simcoe.
The Midland event will take place at the Midland Public Library on Tuesday, Nov. 22, while the Barrie event will take place at the Sandbox Centre on Wednesday, Nov 30.
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Both events will run from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Registration is required.
The events are part of the Skills Development Fund, which is designed to address skills development and labour shortages within the manufacturing sector by offering educational opportunities at no cost to the participant.
Through the Skills Development Fund, the City of Barrie has partnered with Georgian College with support from the County of Simcoe to offer training through the Rapid Skills program.
The Rapid Skills program provides industry-focused training to address the needs of local manufacturers and develop skills within the workforce at no cost to the participant.
“Our government is proud to invest in innovative projects that connect women to well-paying jobs in manufacturing,” said Labour Minister Monte McNaughton.
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