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NC’s Young Women’s Career Exploration Conference inspires interest in skilled trades and technology

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Students from St. Francis Catholic Secondary School in St. Catharines take part in a food science demonstration.

On March 4, hundreds of female students from Niagara’s Catholic high schools converged on the Scotiabank Convention Centre for the Young Women’s Career Exploration Conference, where many were exposed to the nuts and bolts of a career in the skilled trades for the first time.

Set to the background noise of hammers, power tools, and industrial-grade equipment at the Niagara Catholic District School Board’s 17th annual Technological Skills Competition, students heard from a panel of women working in traditionally male-dominated fields before trying their hand at a variety of NC student and faculty-led demonstrations. These included robotics, food science, game development, automotive, and more.

Jane McKenna, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, NC’s Pam Skinner, senior vice-president of Corporate Services, and Jennifer Green, director of Competitions and Young Women’s Initiatives – among other – were on-hand to provide words of encouragement for students embarking on a career in these traditionally male-dominated fields.

Skinner said, “Technology occupations … are among the highest paying and fastest growing professions. We’ve seen study after study that shows greater diversity with highly skilled staff strengthens innovation and performance within companies. That means companies are looking for talented young women to be part of their organizations.”

Panelists included NC student Siana Dortono, machinist apprentice, and faculty members, Sarah Rouillier, professor in the School of Technology (Advance Manufacturing), and Gina Grossi, professor in the School of Media Studies (Game Development).

“When you’re passionate about what you do, you become a success story like my son,” said McKenna, MPP, who shared her youngest child’s success in the skilled trades, becoming an entrepreneur in mechanics and welding by the age of just 23. “Niagara College: thank you so much for bringing this forward. You do a phenomenal job about giving everyone an opportunity to find where their passion is.”

At the start of the day’s events, NC President Sean Kennedy was on-hand to welcome over 300 student competitors to the NCDSB Technological Skills Competition.

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