Jill of All Trades

Fanshawe welcomes 90 local female high school students for an introduction to Red Seal trades.

There was a buzz of excitement and energy in the air throughout labs across Fanshawe’s London Campus, as 90 local female high school students received a hands-on introduction to Red Seal trades as part of the College’s inaugural Jill of All Trades™ event.

Established by Conestoga College in 2014, Jill of All Trades™ is a day-long educational fair with workshops and guest speakers designed to introduce Grade 9 to 12 female students to the benefits of a future in skilled trades and apprenticeships.

The workshops at Fanshawe involved students performing diagnostic testing on both combustion and electric vehicles, using welding techniques to fabricate a metal flower, framing a wall with 2×4s, bending and soldering copper piping and creating a ‘barn star’ out of sheet metal.

“I love working with my hands, I love being creative, I love building,” said Paige, a local high school student who is looking to pursue a career in carpentry. “My first activity of the day is carpentry, and that’s what I plan to do with the rest of my life, so I’m very excited for that.”

Providing female students with opportunities to pursue traditionally male - dominated careers across the skilled trades is critically important on both an individual and societal level. According to Statistics Canada, only about seven per cent of skilled trades workers in Canada identify as female.

“Fanshawe is incredibly proud to join the Jill of All Trades™ program, further emphasizing our commitment to empower women in the trades,” said Stephen Patterson, dean of Fanshawe’s Faculty of Science, Trades and Technology. “With the support of our terrific faculty, staff and community partners, we look forward to hosting many more of these events in the years to come.”