Women in Trades Training

Opportunities for Women
With growing opportunities and a high demand for skilled tradespeople, there has never been a better time for women to consider a career in the trades. More and more women are discovering that trades work offers independence, job satisfaction and great pay.

The Industry Training Authority (ITA) is supporting women in B.C. to find rewarding careers in the trades through a number of different programs and initiatives that help women find their perfect fit.

The ITA Women in Trades Training initiative helps unemployed or underemployed women get the support they need to become skilled, in-demand tradespeople. This exciting training and employment initiative offers financial support such as free tuition, tools and books, child-care subsidies and more. It can also connect you to other opportunities, such as general skills upgrading, career counselling, on-the-job training and introductions to potential employers.

Partnering with service and training providers across B.C., the initiative helps women find funded training and paid apprenticeship opportunities for trades careers. Through this initiative, women have successfully established careers as electricians, plumbers, sheet metal workers, carpenters and more. To date, more than 200 women have benefited from the program. Find out more about the trades opportunities open to you!

If you are currently unemployed or underemployed, you may qualify for this new initiative. To find out if you qualify for the ITA Women in Trades Training initiative, contact the ITA at 778-328-8700 (Lower Mainland), 1-866-660-6011 (Toll Free in B.C.), or e-mail customerservice@itabc.ca. If you do not qualify, we may be able to connect you to other ITA programs and initiatives to help you build a career in the trades.

The ITA Women in Trades Training initiative involves five demonstration projects, and is part of a long-term strategy to match women’s skills to the needs of B.C.’s workplace. Initiative funding is provided by the Industry Training Authority (ITA), through the Canada-B.C. Labour Market Agreement between the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.