By Michelle Diplock, RPP, MCIP, Manager of Planning and Government Relations, West End Home Builders’ Association
Last month, women leadership from the West End Home Builders’ Association sat with Burlington Member of Provincial Parliament Natalie Pierre for a multifaceted discussion on the work our industry is leading to bring more women into the skilled trades. Last month, during a Burlington Chamber of Commerce event, WE HBA Board Director Natasha Paikin shared that West End HBA had founded the first Women in Industry Committee in a local Home Builders’ Association in Canada. After this statement, MPP Pierre expressed interest in learning more about the WE HBA initiatives and the work our association has been doing to bring more women into the construction industry, as well as about how we could work together in supporting Burlington’s growth.
WE HBA President Terri Johns kicked off the conversation by talking about a successful initiative our association ran in October. Last year, WE HBA’s Women in Industry Committee partnered with Mohawk College and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program to host an educational showcase called WE BUILD. The event offered young girls and gender diverse individuals in grades 7 and 8 the opportunity to learn more about the career possibilities in the residential construction, skilled trades, and STEM industries. The event participants had the opportunity to test out numerous professions through interactive games and hands-on activities across multiple trades. The students tried out everything from plumbing, millwork, and electrical work to renovation, demolition, planning and tool handling, at the Marshall School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship at Mohawk College.
Because of the significant labour shortage in the residential construction industry, WE HBA is focused on bringing underrepresented groups into these rewarding careers. MPP Pierre shared some of the work she has been involved in, highlighting the Habitat for Humanity Halton Tiny Home Youth Build Program. This program provides real-world hands-on skilled trades experience for high school students as part of their high school curriculum. Over the course of a semester, the students under the supervision of trained industry professionals build a tiny home for one of Habitat’s Indigenous housing partners. MPP Pierre had recently met with students that were participating in this year’s program at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. It was wonderful to speak with MPP Pierre as she showcased some of the amazing work being done right here in Burlington.
The conversation also turned to some of the barriers women face when entering the industry. There are many reasons why only 1 in 10 construction workers in Ontario are women. Dani Gabriele, WE HBA board secretary shared one of the real challenges her company faced upon hiring a female journeyperson a few years ago. The issue was the absence of a dedicated women’s washroom on the jobsite, which her company Marz Homes, worked quickly to remedy. Previously, this had not been a problem or a consideration.
WE HBA was pleased to hear from MPP Pierre that her government is bringing forward an initiative to make women’s-only safe and accessible washrooms mandatory on all jobsites. “As an industry, we need to be helping with this initiative to ensure that good jobs in the skilled trades are accessible to everyone, whether it’s through women in industry, or women in politics,” said Dani Gabriele. The discussion with MPP Pierre is a prime example of the alignment between the work WE HBA and her government are doing to encourage more young women to choose careers in the residential construction industry.
