The demand for skilled tradespeople is growing and young women are encourage to sign on with the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.
In a presentation to the Bluewater School Board, area OYAP coordinator Dave Barrett says there are 154 students registered from the Bluewater Board and 45 from the Catholic board.
He says only a small fraction of those are young women and they'd like to change that.
"We need more young women in the skilled trades, one of the ministers from the federal government said if more young women went into the skilled trades our shortage would be gone," says Barrett. "All we want them to do is try it, it's not for everyone, but if young ladies think they have a passion for a certain skill, there's all kinds of opportunities out there for them."
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship program is a provincial initiative that promotes the skilled trades to meet a growing demand from employers.
