Women remain significantly underrepresented in the skilled trades, especially in construction and manufacturing — but that’s changing, and Ontario has a real network of programs built specifically to help women get in, get trained, and stay. If you’re a woman considering the trades, here’s what’s available.
A quick note: program availability, intakes, and funding change and vary by provider. Confirm current details with each program and Skilled Trades Ontario before applying.
Why these programs exist
The trades have long been male-dominated, and women entering them can face barriers — from a lack of role models to workplaces that weren’t built with them in mind. The programs below tackle this on two fronts: recruiting and training women to enter the trades, and supporting them to stay once they’re in.
Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) pre-apprenticeship programs
The flagship is WIST — Women in Skilled Trades — a set of pre-apprenticeship programs offered at colleges and training centres across Ontario. The common features:
- Tuition-free for eligible participants, funded by the Government of Ontario (you still cover living costs like housing, food, and transport).
- Aligned with first-year apprentice training, so graduates are prepared and more hireable.
- Trade-specific streams. Examples that have run in Ontario include carpentry and residential installations (e.g., Conestoga College), enhanced general carpentry (Centre for Skills Development), plumbing (Humber College), industrial mechanic millwright/CNC (Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor), and welding-focused programs such as the CWB Welding Foundation’s “Women of Steel.”
As with any pre-apprenticeship, completing WIST doesn’t make you certified — you still go on to register an apprenticeship and complete the levels — but it’s a supported, no-tuition on-ramp.
Mentorship and retention support
Getting in is one thing; thriving is another. Several organizations focus on mentorship and community so women don’t navigate the trades alone:
- Skills Ontario’s Young Women’s Initiatives offer hands-on events and mentorship for young women in grades 7 to 12.
- Build Together, a national building-trades union program, promotes and mentors women in construction trades.
- Canadian Construction Women and the Canadian Association of Women in Construction offer mentorship and guidance on industry challenges.
There’s also broader federal investment: the Women in the Skilled Trades Initiative funds projects that recruit, retain, and help women succeed in the designated Red Seal trades.
Financial supports
Beyond tuition-free pre-apprenticeships, look into apprentice grants and incentives (federal and provincial programs change, so check current offerings), the Canada Apprentice Loan for technical-training costs, and the CRA’s Tradesperson’s Tools Deduction for eligible tool purchases. Some programs also provide stipends or help with training-related expenses.
How to get started
- Identify your trade and a WIST or women-focused pre-apprenticeship near you.
- Attend the information session — many programs require it before applying, and spaces are limited, so apply early.
- Use the mentorship networks to build connections before and during training.
- Plan the apprenticeship step that follows, since pre-apprenticeship is the on-ramp, not the finish line.
The bottom line
Ontario has a genuine, growing infrastructure to support women in the skilled trades — tuition-free WIST pre-apprenticeship programs across the province, mentorship networks like Build Together and Skills Ontario, and financial supports. The need for skilled tradespeople is high, and these programs exist specifically to help women enter and stay. The first move is finding a women-focused program in your trade and registering for its information session.
Details reflect Ontario and federal program information available in 2026 (sources include Skilled Trades Ontario, the Government of Ontario, participating colleges, and Employment and Social Development Canada). Programs, funding, and intakes change — confirm current details with each provider before applying.
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