Key Programs

The Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training program provides training for women in communities where skilled trades and IT workers are needed. It offers gender sensitive in-class and on-the-job training to women with low incomes who are unemployed or underemployed and helps them prepare for jobs. Training can take up to one year to complete.

The Skilled Trades stream offers pre-apprenticeship training in class for specific trades. It includes employability and workplace preparation to help women prepare for a predominately male work environment as well as to make them aware of employer expectations. Following graduation, women are qualified to enter a variety of highly skilled and high-demand skilled trade jobs and apprenticeships.

The Information Technology Training stream enables women to secure employment, further training and certification in the IT sector, or to enter an IT apprenticeship program. As a result of this initiative, women are better prepared for higher paying employment in the information technology sector, and employers are able to choose from more skilled candidates.

Funding is provided for local training programs at various locations.

• Customer Care Agent
• General Carpentry
• Electrician
• Horticulture Technician
• Information Technology Applications and Technical Support
• Network Administration, Web Design and Development, IT Business Analysis and Applications Development Programs
• Technical Support Agent

Employment Training for Abused / At-Risk Women helps women who have experienced abuse or are at risk of abuse to develop new skills, find employment, and achieve economic security. Ten training programs are currently delivered across the province. Each program is delivered through a partnership which includes a women's organization that provides violence against women prevention and support services; a training organization (e.g., college or community agency); and a minimum of two employers. This program is part of the Ontario government's commitment under the Domestic Violence Action Plan to provide better community supports for victims of domestic violence.

Program Leads

• Community Microskills Development Centre
• COSTI Immigrant Services
• La Cité des affaires de La Cité collégiale
• Minwaashin Lodge Aboriginal Women’s Support
• Niagara Women’s Enterprise Centre
• Nipissing First Nations
• Women’s Interval House of Sarnia and Lambton
• Woodgreen Community Services
• YWCA Toronto

The Building Aboriginal Women’s Leadership program was launched in 2007 to increase Aboriginal women’s full participation in leadership roles in their communities through:

• Bringing together women in existing leadership roles to mentor other women
• Providing Aboriginal women with leadership skills development training
• Promoting Aboriginal women in leadership as role models and
• Increasing the capacity of Aboriginal women’s organizations to address issues of importance to Aboriginal women across Ontario.

In 2011, Ontario committed to an investment of $976,720 over four years to help more than 3,000 Aboriginal women develop leadership skills through in-person workshops in 11 remote communities and online.

From 2007 to 2010, this program enabled more than 1,500 Aboriginal women in 30 communities across Ontario to participate in training/information sessions on leadership development. Since then, over 180 program participants have provided leadership in their communities by leading community events and programs, becoming board members and being elected to positions on band councils.

2011-2014 Grant Recipients

• Equay-wuk Women’s Group
• Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)