On behalf of BC Centre for Women in the Trades
Construction Month 2025 Recap
BCCWITT was a gold sponsor of BCCA’s Construction Month campaign in April. The cornerstone of our celebration was a fantastic event at BCIT on April 26. Our “Journey to Success for Women Apprentices” event brought together more than 50 women apprentices as well as dozens of folks interested in construction careers for a day of networking and learning from a panel of experienced apprentices and journeys. We wrapped Construction Month with a prize pack giveaway to five lucky winners who followed our social media. Congrats to Abigail, Mario, Alexis, Derek and Kathrine, who will be enjoying Construction Month 2025 shirts and other swag! Thank you to all who helped make Construction Month 2025 a success: We’re already planning for next year.
Opportunity Fair and Canada North Expo: BCCWITT in Castlegar and Prince George
We have been busy recruiting new tradeswomen into rewarding careers throughout the province, including at the Trades and Industry Opportunity Fair in Castlegar on May 7, and the Canada North Expo in Prince George on May 23 and 24. On top of the professional networking at these events, we also partnered with local groups to host in-person meetups for tradeswomen while we were in town. Thank you to the amazing volunteers who came out to build community with us.
Trades Training and Employment with BCCWITT
Are you an unemployed or underemployed woman in BC? Are you interested in a well-paying, in-demand, and rewarding career in a construction, maintenance, or industrial skilled trade? BCCWITT is actively recruiting for traffic control and general trades skills training, as well as providing supports to Foundations program graduates and women interested in starting in a trade, all through our Trades Training and Employment Program. We host two group intake sessions every week, where you can learn about what we offer, eligibility, and next steps. Interested? Let us know at https://tinyurl.com/TradesCareers.
UPDATE: A New Name for SUSW
Our innovative occupational health and safety program developed in partnership with the BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) Health & Safety Centre has a new name: “Stand Up for Safe Workplaces” is now called Show Up for Safer Workplaces. Our staff and advisory committee feel this shift better reflects our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion through the lens of workplace safety, including psychological injury prevention. Curriculum development is ongoing and program launch is coming up in Autumn 2025. To stay in the loop, join our interest list here.
Upcoming Opportunity for Connecting with CCWESTT and BCCWITT
We are excited to be working with our friends at CCWESTT to help organize an in-person learning and networking experience this fall in Vancouver. Details are still TBA but it’s going to be an opportunity for tradespeople and allies of all genders to connect and build capacity for a more inclusive and resilient skilled trades sector. Stay tuned! And in the meantime, check out other events from CCWESTT at https://ccwestt-ccfsimt.org/events/.
Scholarships, Bursaries, and Funding for Education and Career Advancement
There are many deadlines coming up both this month and the next, for funding that can help both current and future tradespeople expand their education and skills! BCCWITT maintains and regularly updates a list of financial supports for trades, as well as a spreadsheet of funding for education, tools, and professional development for tradespeople. You can find these under the “FUNDING, SCHOLARSHIPS, & BURSARIES” drop down on our Resources page. To access the latest version of the spreadsheet directly, last updated on April 30 2025, please click here. If you have any additions to the list, please send them to us at info@bccwitt.ca.
Raise Your Voice: Survey opportunities for tradeswomen and allies
“Sustainability in the Skilled Trades” Curriculum
BCCWITT staff member, Alycia, needs your help. Some of you know that she is in the final stages of her Masters of Sustainability at Harvard Extension School. Her final project is building a curriculum for a “Sustainability in the Skilled Trades in BC” program, and she is seeking input from the skilled trades industry to build learning objectives and course content. Please help her out by taking this survey before June 15, 2025: https://form.jotform.com/251434984026055.
Frontline Experiences and Opinions of Construction Workers
Catherine Lawton, and a group of colleagues in UVic’s MBA program are working on a project specific to the construction industry. They have found that there isn’t a lot of information on the opinions and experiences of people in the construction workforce openly available and they are trying to fill that gap. They’s like to hear from construction workers interested in sharing their perspective and experience. Take the survey before May 31, 2025 https://forms.office.com/r/d5nSwuxygd