Break The Bias

The Trades Have No Gender

The trades are not “a man’s world”. All are welcome to experience what the trades are about – all the hands-on elements are teachable. Women perform just as well as men in the trades.

Women also bring many additional skills and perspectives, such as collaborative communication styles, great attention to detail and empathy, which are recognized by many employers in the trades as important and valuable.

Women make up nearly half of the entire Canadian workforce, but the perception still exists that certain jobs - particularly those in the skilled trades - should only be done by men. In reality, women excel in all traditionally male-dominated careers, including those in construction, manufacturing, automotive, mining, welding, and more.

In the near future, there is expected to be a skilled trade worker shortage of 1.2 million people and 40% of employment in the skilled trades. With a looming shortage of skilled trades workers, many industries have realized it’s time to get past the stereotypes and employ a more diverse workforce. In sectors like construction where the demand for skilled workers is highest, companies are actively recruiting women to fill open positions.

There’s no reason a woman can’t be just as physically fit, determined, confident, and capable of operating the same tools and machinery as their male counterparts. A variety of skills are required to be successful in the trades, including balance, dexterity, hand-eye coordination, stamina, and academic skills like reading, writing and mathematics.

Since none of these skills are defined by a person’s gender, if you’re a woman interested in the trades, there’s nothing stopping you from empowering yourself to put on a pair of steel-toe boots and shatter the stereotypes around careers in the trades.