In early October, Women Building Futures hosted their first Trade Perspectives Work Proud Summit, a two-day conference focused on how to create and sustain a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the construction and trades industry.

A common thread of the conference was the difference between inclusivity and diversity. The two terms are often thought of as a pair, but are not often considered for their individual meaning.

“Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance,” said Regina Davis, supply and technical services manager with Imperial, in one breakout session.

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In this article, Angela Splinter of Trucking HR highlights WBF as she shares the importance of diverse recruiting and programming for the trucking industry. “If you’re committed to hiring more women, particularly as drivers, I want to highlight a program called Women Building Futures (WBF). Those who have attended our Women with Drive Leadership summits are likely familiar with WBF, but for those who have not, let’s take a closer look.”

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Check out this feature in Your McMurray Magazine to get a glimpse into our first regional office in the Regional Municipality of Woof Buffalo (RMWB).

“Over the last 20 years, WBF has offered training and services through their Training Centre located in downtown Edmonton. WBF is now engaging with local women and organizations right here in the RMWB to make sure we have the workforce needed now and in the future.”

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This article by Canada West Foundation outlines the importance of skills focused programs as training for various groups underrepresented in the workforce. Women Building Futures, along with two other organizations are mentioned as examples.

“WBF provides wraparound supports, including housing, to women who are unemployed or underemployed and offers pre-apprenticeship and equipment operator training for good quality careers in sectors that haven’t traditionally employed a lot of women.”

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EDMONTON, Alta. – Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) president Chris Nash believes companies that do not embrace diversity and inclusiveness will soon struggle to find talent.

“Diversity will bring more ideas and progression,” Nash said during the Women Building Futures Work Proud Summit in Edmonton Oct. 3. “Going forward, it will be less appealing to work for a company that is not diverse.”

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The pursuit of inclusive participation in the economy requires a change in perspectives and a change in traditional ways of thinking. This belief prompted a small group of women to set up Women Building Futures (WBF) in 1998.

WBF's goal is to prepare women for careers in industries in which, historically, they have been under-represented. Through skilled trades training and mentorship, WBF works with industry to create programs and career opportunities to help women achieve financial security that can transform their futures.

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Reanne Adobas, a lifelong resident of the Town of Stony Plain, Alberta, knew she wanted a career that would allow her to work in her community. When she heard about the Women Building Futures Operator Readiness Program, with Stony Plain as a sponsor, she decided to apply and was accepted into the program. After four weeks of hard work, she graduated and was hired into a temporary position with the town’s Public Works Department. She then took a permanent position as a Facility Operator.

Click here to read all about Reanne's success story. 

With a forecasted loss of close to 250,000 skilled workers over the next decade, employers in industry are looking for impactful, meaningful ways to attract and retain new talent.

Click here to read how WBF believes women are Canada's largest untapped labour resource.

Whitefish Lake First Nation created a unique opportunity for indigenous women in the area recently when it provided a construction skills training program at Goodfish Lake last month. Program partners believe the success of this initial program has laid the all important groundwork to expand employment training on the reserve.

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It didn’t take long for the second graduating class of Women Building Futures’ (WBF) Professional Class 1 Driver program to get noticed. In fact, within one week of completing the course, all 10 students were hired into the industry. 

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Cara Wilson became an ironworker thanks to an initiative created by Women Building Futures with Ironworkers Apprenticeship and Training Plan (Local 720 in Edmonton) and the North West Redwater refinery project. Wilson says she knew the ironworker trade was for her after learning more about it and completing a four-week ironworker readiness class.

Click here to learn more about her journey. 

We’re pleased to announce that we are recent recipients of the EcoCity Edmonton Community Sustainability Grant.  A big thank you to the City of Edmonton, Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and Edmonton Community Foundation for providing this grant.

Your support made it possible for us to train women in our first Electrical and Solar Basics Program and graduate 10 women to open the doors to a new future in solar energy.

Click here to read to full news release.

The "You Got This" National Awareness Campaign has accomplished much more than awareness that the trades can be a first choice career for women. Conversations are changing, women are realizing their full potential and the industry is taking notice.

To read the full article, click here.

During her time at WBF, graduate Chrissy Bell was one of three women in the organization’s Indigenous training program. She has worked for Edmonton, AB-based HVAC and plumbing company Ram Mechanical for three years.

To read Chrissy's whole story, click here.

“It is definitely a win-win for everyone,” said Kathy Kimpton. “When you make those kinds of commitments through a budget, what you’re doing is making a commitment about change and about economic prosperity for women…their families, their communities and the economy overall.” - Kathy Kimpton, President & CEO of Women Building Futures. 

To read the full article, click here.

JudyLynn Archer, founding President & CEO of WBF, and Kathy Kimpton, current President & CEO of WBF, were guest speakers on The Well Endowed Podcast.

Learn how Women Building Futures has grown from a grassroots group, to an incredible organization that is changing the face of Alberta’s construction industry and empowering women. 

Click here to hear the podcast.

A new endowment fund is JudyLynn Archer’s latest contribution to her life’s passion – Women Building Futures

If you want something, it’s up to you to make it happen.”

For 13 years, that philosophy shaped JudyLynn Archer’s vision as CEO and president of Women Building Futures (WBF), an organization dedicated to helping women find employment in careers where women are under-represented. It is also at the heart of the JudyLynn Archer Endowment Fund that she created at Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) upon her retirement at the end of 2016, which will help cover tuition and housing costs in perpetuity for students in need. If women are provided with the tools to succeed, she believes, they will make it happen.

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Photography by Cooper & O’Hara.

On February 5, 2018 WBF was on the air with Ryan Jesperson on 630 CHED talking all things WBF! Kathy Kimpton, President and CEO was joined by Tyler Gabert, GM of Willowridge Construction and Cara Wilson, WBF Alumni and Ironworker Apprentice with Local720. The conversation was lively and we talked about our YOU GOT THIS campaign, why we need to talk about a skilled trade as a first option career opportunity for women. Cara shared her empowering story about succeeding as an Ironworker and Tyler spoke about how industry is embracing women as skilled workers on job sites and why this is a good business decision.

To hear the full interview, click here. 

Join us in Calgary for the Women in Trades night. Enjoy discounted tickets and premium sitting as the Calgary Roughnecks take on the Colorado Mammoths.

We're honoured to have been chosen to be the recipient of ticket sales for this game as $5 from every ticket will go to the WBF Student Awards Program.

Get your tickets here.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Jacqueline Andersen, the director of stakeholder relations with the non-profit society. “Women are between four and six per cent of the field-level trades professions. And so, this conversation needs to continue, we need our partners to continue it, we need everyone to share it and we want this conversation to not stop and to be impactful.”

To see the full article click here.

Hoping to change the perception of how the trades industry is often represented, a campaign called “You Got This” is empowering women to pursue a career in the trades.

Ever since the not-for-profit organization, “Women Building Futures” launched the campaign in the fall, applications have drastically increased by 300 per cent with more women applying for the non-traditional workforce.

Along with the efforts of the team behind the campaign is their success in meaningfully promoting this initiative, as well as provide opportunities into Indigenous audiences.

See the full segment here