Fewer women in the northwest are in skilled trades training than in other parts of Ontario. Why?

Behind a blinding wall of blue-and-white light in the welding shop, Vikki Schembri has finally found her spark at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont. 

The 29-year-old was defending her thesis for a master's degree in health sciences at this time last year. Her family and teachers had always praised her intelligence and research skills, but despite her success, she didn't enjoy the work.

"My parents were like, 'University is the best way to do education. Once you have a degree, you can do anything you want,'" she says. "And now I have a degree and I have a welding diploma, and I'm still figuring out if I can do whatever I want."

In a climate where skilled trade workers are retiring at a rate among the highest in the workforce, graduations from programs in northwestern Ontario have decreased by a third since 2001.

Despite efforts to promote gender diversity, men continue to form the biggest share of all tradespeople.

New data from the North Superior Workforce Planning Board shows the gender balance in the region is shifting slower than elsewhere in the province. Only 8.5 per cent of the 1,100 active apprentices in the Thunder Bay district last year were women, compared to a provincial average of 12.5 per cent.

In the days after her career-changing revelation, Schembri came across the Women Of Steel program online. Non-profit organization CWB offers the free, one-week arc welding certificate in two southern Ontario cities, including Milton, where her parents live.

The trades had always intimidated her as much as they'd intrigued her, but as far back as high school, she can't remember any of her female friends expressing interest.

"I saw it as removing all these barriers that were keeping me from getting into welding: the initial monetary investment, having the equipment that I need and also just the ability to walk into a classroom and say, 'I know nothing about this, and I want to learn,' which is really hard for me because I like to be very educated before I say or do anything." 

She signed up for the college welding techniques program within the month and is now graduating as one of two women among 11 students.

Madge Richardson, executive director of the North Superior Workforce Planning Board, said she can't account for the region's persistent gender gap in the trades, but added it's affecting the earning power of women at large.

Her 2022 labour market plan found women-dominated sectors suffered disproportionate job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including layoffs, fewer full-time positions and more precarious work. 

She said making child care available is the simplest path to level the playing field.

"It's changing gradually a little too slowly for my preference, but I think primary child care is often expected to be the woman's role," Richardson said. "That doesn't necessarily happen because it's a conscious decision.