The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) is today marking International Women’s Day by encouraging more women to pursue careers in the skilled trades and calling for employers and governments to continue promoting the industry.

“With the aging workforce and pending retirement of many Baby Boomers, there will be expanding opportunities in the coming years for women looking to work in the construction industry,” says RESCON president Richard Lyall. “We need more women in the industry and must create opportunities for school-aged girls to learn about the possibilities and types of varied careers available in construction. There are a number of initiatives under way to recruit more women.”

RESCON has been working to push back against stereotypes and encourage women to take up careers in the trades. For example, we have been a proud sponsor of the Young Women in Science, Technology and Trades Conference at Durham College for several years. The two-day annual event enables girls in Grades 7 and 8 from several regional school boards to learn about the trades and get hands-on experience working with tools in different workshops.

Through a partnership with George Brown College, RESCON also places several female students each year with employers on residential construction sites. We encourage girls to participate so they can learn more about the sector and find out what types of careers they can pursue in the construction industry.

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