Yukon Women in Trades and Technology celebrates 25 years
“Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen individuals journey through our programs at different touchpoints, some starting as students in our after-school programs and growing into Red Seal journeypeople and instructors; and others engaging with our adult programming and taking the leap into the skilled trades as a second career avenue”
Jodie McGregor
In August 2000, a group of women had a vision that seemed almost revolutionary for its time: What if young women across the Yukon could see themselves operating heavy machinery and building the territory’s future with their own hands?
Twenty-five years later, that vision has transformed into Yukon Women in Trades and Technology (YWITT), an organization that has persistently chipped away at one of Canada’s most stubborn gender gaps. YWITT was co-founded by Betty Irwin, a program director for YWITT from 2000 till 2009.
On Oct. 3, YWITT will be celebrating their 25th anniversary by inviting the community to a barbecue, with lawn games and more. “Dust off your going-out Carhartts, don your fanciest steel toes” reads the invitation, a playful nod to an organization that has never taken itself too seriously while tackling very serious issues.
The numbers tell a compelling story according to the press release. When YWITT held its first Young Women Exploring Trades Conference at the then Yukon College in 2000, few could have predicted the ripple effects. Back then it was a one-day event. Now it has evolved into a cornerstone event that takes students out of classrooms and into businesses, to meet women working in the field.
YWITT’s impact expands far beyond annual conferences. In 2006, Yukon College, YWITT and the territory partnered to develop the Women Exploring Trades and Technology program at the Yukon College, a 16-week introductory course offered by Yukon College and designed to introduce women to technologies and trades.
“Over the past 25 years, we’ve seen individuals journey through our programs at different touchpoints, some starting as students in our after-school programs and growing into Red Seal journeypeople and instructors; and others engaging with our adult programming and taking the leap into the skilled trades as a second career avenue,” says Jodie McGregor, YWITT’s executive director. She adds that having YWITT’s support network has helped so many community members to grow and thrive.
The stories that emerge from YWITT programs are success stories, as it reads in their press release: In 2011, Maureen Moorse, described as “a trailblazer for apprenticing in carpentry in the Yukon,” led a team of 11 women ranging from their mid-twenties to early sixties in building a greenhouse at the Dawson City Women’s Shelter. The same year, female inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre built a greenhouse for the Whitehorse Community Garden.
These initiatives reveal something significant about the YWITT philosophy: They meet people where they are. Whether it is Grade 8 students learning sheet metal work through the Cool Tools program (later rebranded as Power Up!), women gathering for bicycle-maintenance workshops, or welding programs designed for women and non-binary individuals—YWITT has consistently adapted to community needs.
When asked what YWITT’s most significant achievement in advancing equity in trades and technology has been, Jodie McGregor says, “With equity work there isn’t usually one significant indicator that creates change. The growth and advancement has happened throughout the twenty-five years of small changes, with the goal of making a more equitable trades environment for our current and future community members.”
According to the press release, across Canada, women’s registration in trades schools has steadily increased, year over year, but then there is a drop-off. Women experience higher attrition rates in apprenticeship programs and aren’t staying in trades. The reasons are discrimination, harassment or isolation. YWITT’s response: Their “Building Strong Leaders” program that includes all genders, operating on the principle that great leaders create great workplaces. McGregor explains what this looks like in practice “Recognizing the unique challenges faced by women and gender-diverse people in trades, the program also built resilience skills to help these leaders sustain their efforts, over time, without burning out. Perhaps most importantly, by giving participants tools to support others’ leadership journeys, YWITT created a ripple effect where more people are now better equipped to mentor and develop other tradeswomen and gender-diverse tradespeople. We have also seen some of these participants thrive in skill-sharing in our youth and adult programming,” says McGregor.
As YWITT celebrates 25 years, their vision for the future stays rooted in practical action. “Going forward, the organization’s commitment to working with and for tradespeople demonstrates our serious intent to scale this impact,” McGregor notes, suggesting their model of community-based leadership development can create lasting social change.
On Oct. 3, from 5 to 8 p.m., everyone is invited for an evening of community and celebration to ring in YWITT’s 25th year and to honour all those who helped YWITT to go where it is today. The event will feature lawn games, a barbecue, a Kids Craft Zone, face painting and more. It will take place at Mount Sima, 770 Mount Sima Road, in Whitehorse.
