St. Clair College’s second annual Jill of All Trades event introduced 100 female high school students to the working world of skilled trades. CBC”s Dalson Chen spoke with students Abigail Collins and Cassidy Young, as well as Lido Zuccato, who chairs the college’s School of Skilled Trades.
Original Video: CBC News
Published: May 21, 2025 at 9:48AM EDT
“Jill of All Trades is an excellent opportunity for young women to participate in hands-on activities and engage practically with different trades,” said Lido Zuccato, chair of the School of Skilled Trades at St. Clair College. “Taking the first step can often be the hardest, but the chance to physically create something is a vital first step towards building the confidence needed to explore a career in the trades.”
The college says with Canada needing at least 75,000 new tradespeople over the next five years due to retirements alone, events like this are crucial to addressing the skilled trades shortage — especially with women representing only five per cent of the current workforce.
By Lydia Chubak
Updated: May 15, 2025 at 7:15PM EDT
Original Video: CTV News
“It’s so important that women get exposure to the trades so they understand what they’re capable of, what opportunities are there for them and we want them to become strong, independent women who are comfortable going into the trades,” said Jamie Johnston, Dean of technology, trades, apprenticeship and mining at Northern College.
“Because it’s very male-driven so we’re trying to bring in more, especially when it comes to the stereotypes so we’re hoping to break that stereotype,” said Carole McLean, Indigenous student recruitment associate for Northern College.
BCIT hosted 150 girls from across Metro Vancouver in a “Jill of all Trades” event, in an effort to inspire more girls to enter the trades.
Read the full article from The Ferris State Torch
With women’s interest in STEM on the rise, Ferris State University recently joined 18 other colleges across North America in hosting the Jill of All Trades™ event, a hands-on experience designed to introduce high school girls to careers in science, technology, engineering, and skilled trades.
Students from Big Rapids and surrounding areas explored Ferris’s lab spaces, engaged in interactive workshops, and heard from empowering speakers who emphasized the importance of women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Organizers and participants alike highlighted the event’s role in breaking stereotypes, boosting confidence, and showing women that they belong in STEM.
The Jill of All Trades event shut down classes in the skilled trades colleges to provide tours, exploration and education of the opportunities Ferris offers. Photo by: Jordan Wilson | Multimedia Editor
Read the full article from The Ferris State Torch
Full article by Grace Heethuis on March 26, 2025
Read the full story from Education News Canada
Nearly 90 female high school students from London and surrounding regions got hands-on experience in skilled trades at Fanshawe College’s Jill of All Trades™ event on February 20. The immersive workshops introduced students to careers in electrical, plumbing, automotive, carpentry, and aviation composites, while also offering mentorship, networking, and a chance to explore Fanshawe’s facilities.
As part of a growing national movement to engage more young women in Red Seal trades, where females still represent just 8% of workers in Canada, Fanshawe’s event showcased both the exciting possibilities and real-world skills involved in trades careers.
Read the whole story by Courtney Mullins from Insight to Diversity.
Jill of All Trades is an initiative launched in 2014 by Conestoga College in Ontario, Canada, to encourage young women to explore careers in skilled trades such as manufacturing, electrical work, welding, and automotive technologies. Despite growing demand for workers, women remain underrepresented in these fields. The program provides hands-on experiences guided by professionals, fostering confidence and interest among high school students.
Since its inception, Jill of All Trades has expanded significantly, partnering with 17 colleges across Canada by 2022 and reaching the U.S. in 2023 through Owens Community College in Ohio. Events at Owens have been successful, with a third planned for October 2024 and further expansion in 2025. By 2026, the initiative aims to reach 35 colleges across North America, host over 120 events annually, and inspire more than 10,000 participants.
The program’s impact is evident, with over 90% of participants expressing interest in skilled trades. Through mentorship, skill-building, and breaking stereotypes, Jill of All Trades is shaping a future where women play a vital role in traditionally male-dominated industries.
Read the whole story by Courtney Mullins from Insight to Diversity.
Read the full Vernon Morning Star article.
North Okanagan high school girls rolled up their sleeves for a preview of the trades programs awaiting them at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus.
According to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s National Strategy for Supporting Women in the Trades, just 4.5 per cent of students in apprenticeship programs in construction, manufacturing and transportation trades from 2014 to 2018 were female. The goal put forward by the forum is to increase that number to 15 per cent by 2030.
To that end, Okanagan College Vernon hosted its first Jill of all Trades training day on Friday, Nov. 22, a chance for female students to experience trades programs before they graduate from high school and embark on their post-secondary education…
Read the full Vernon Morning Star article.
Read the full Hamilton Spectator article.
As teenage girls practice welding techniques on simulators, sparks and imperfections that mimic real life are displayed on the screen above them. In other Mohawk College classrooms, they plug copper pipes into fittings to make cellphone stands and bend sheet metal into a neat rectangular box.
A growing number of women are choosing to work in male-dominated trades, and these Hamilton-area high school students could be part of the next generation.
About 170 students in grades 9 through 12 from schools in Hamilton, Halton, Niagara and Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk counties got to explore about a dozen hands-on college programs Wednesday for the annual “Jill of All Trades,” a daylong event hosted by institutions across Canada and the U.S., including Mohawk…
Read the full Hamilton Spectator article.
Read the full Education News Canada article.
In almost every region in Canada, there is an urgent need for more workers to fill well-paying positions in skilled trades and engineering technology.
That message was given loud and clear to female high school students today at the annual Jill of All Trades event held at Cambrian College.
Industry leaders, local sponsors, staff, and faculty from Cambrian College pulled out all the stops to showcase everything the skilled trades and engineering technology sectors have to offer young women considering their next steps after high school.
200 students from seven local high schools as well as from the Serpent River First Nation and the Nipissing/Parry Sound Catholic District School Board, took part in Jill of All Trades this year.
The students experienced trades and technology careers first-hand by taking part in hands-on activities and workshops in a number of Cambrian’s labs.
“Every year this event gets bigger and better,” says Renee Scott, Cambrian’s Director of Marketing, Recruitment, and Student Success. “This event is a win for everyone involved. Female students get an opportunity to explore good careers they may not have considered otherwise, and they are meeting women in the trades who can encourage and motivate them. Employers are already recruiting the next generation of talented employees, particularly young women. We also get to show the quality of the trades and engineering technology programs we have to offer, plus our campus experience.”
Cambrian College and select sponsors awarded seven $1,000 scholarships and two $500 scholarships to students who plan on pursuing careers in trades and engineering technology at Cambrian College.
…Read the full Education News Canada article.
Read the full CBC News article by Nicky Shaw.
College works to empower the next generation of skilled female professionals in Northwestern Ontario
Hundreds of female high school students got their hands dirty in Confederation College’s Tec Hub for a Jill of All Trades event in Thunder Bay, Ont. this Wednesday.
They were there for a one-day event encouraging more women to go into the skilled trades by providing some hands-on experience. It is part of a larger nation-wide initiative to empower young women.
Students participated first-hand in three different workshops in different sectors of the trades. There were also mentorship sessions led by industry leaders and alumni and they were able to look at potential careers at a job fair.
Molly Forneri, a grade 12 student from Westgate High School, took part in the event because she’s looking into the trades for the future. She said she ‘really loves welding and really wanted to try it out.’
….Read the full CBC News article by Nicky Shaw.