TradeUp program helps women discover their place in the trades

Last year, Ampere received a $99,500 seed grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). This grant enabled Ampere to offer introductory trades education and programming for women in Kawartha Lakes.

The program, named TradeUp, consisted of four days of intensive programming, including hands-on training at Fleming College’s trades centre, introductions to relevant digital tools and software like CAD, as well as job preparedness training and employment preparation.

Caitlin Patterson, chief operating officer for Ampere, said that last year and this year the organization has had a focus on belonging. “It was well-fitting for us to create space for women in trade to find and explore what that pathway could look like for them, whether it’s sparking interest or mapping out what that journey could look like as a really rewarding career path,” she said at a recent celebration of the TradeUp program.

“Through this $99,500 seed grant Ampere is taking an important step towards opening doors for young women in skilled trades,” said Laurie Scott, MPP Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. “By creating opportunities for hands on learning and skill development, this program will empower participants, strengthen financial stability, and help build a more inclusive and resilient workforce in our communities.”

Scott has been an advocate for getting more women into the trades for over a decade. Her hope is that as more opportunities are presented for women in the trades, other women will be able to see them as mentors. “More women in the trades now multiples with more women that will come into the trades,” she said.

Janice Wileman was one of the women who took part in the program. “The program really helped to demystify the trades for me and taught me through hands-on experiences that I can do it.”

The program even helped to show her how simple it is to go online and find an video to show her

how to fix a leaky tap. “It’s easy to get the tools and the knowledge, you just have to take that first step and not be scared.” From there, Wileman said it’s all about gaining confidence and not expecting to be able to do everything perfect the first time.

“Women have always been underrepresented in the trades, making up less than five per cent of the sector in 2025,” said Vanessa Doucet-Roche, senior director of program delivery at Ampere, in a press release. “That’s changing slowly, and TradeUp allowed us to introduce women and female-identifying people in Kawartha Lakes to the trades as a viable career path.”

The program was free and was the fastest program to reach maximum capacity in Ampere’s history. It also included optional childcare at Ampere’s Makerspace for children aged five to 12. TradeUp was one of Ampere’s trades-focused programs. It’s been followed by many more similar programs, most of which focus on industry-specific digital skills training and role-specific training, combined with paid internships to en sure participants gain real world experience.

“We and our local partners recognize the importance of the trades and manufacturing in the Kawartha Lakes, so we’re working to prepare the next generation of skilled tradespeople,” said Doucet-Roche. “At Ampere, we have a host of programs focused on the trades, from Kawartha Makes, our introduction to manufacturing careers and entrepreneurship, to upcoming programming focused on the clean tech sector. We’re excited to see these participants take their place in the industry.”