Back Row (from left): Mary Rose Walden, C.A.O. for the Township of Huron-Kinloss; Kristin Dimmick, Project Coordinator for
Women in Carpentry Program; Mitch Twolan, Mayor for the Township of Huron-Kinloss; Lisa Thompson, M.P.P. Huron-Bruce;
Ryan Plante, UBC Local 2222; Don Murray, Deputy Mayor for the Township of Huron-Kinloss.
Front Row (from left): Heather MacKenzie-Card, Program Manager for Fanshawe College; Michelle Goetz, Manager of Strategic
Initiatives for the Township of Huron-Kinloss. (Provided by Nicole Griffin, Communications Coordinator, Township of Huron-Kinloss)Back Row (from left): Mary Rose Walden, C.A.O. for the Township of Huron-Kinloss; Kristin Dimmick, Project Coordinator for Women in Carpentry Program; Mitch Twolan, Mayor for the Township of Huron-Kinloss; Lisa Thompson, M.P.P. Huron-Bruce; Ryan Plante, UBC Local 2222; Don Murray, Deputy Mayor for the Township of Huron-Kinloss. Front Row (from left): Heather MacKenzie-Card, Program Manager for Fanshawe College; Michelle Goetz, Manager of Strategic Initiatives for the Township of Huron-Kinloss. (Provided by Nicole Griffin, Communications Coordinator, Township of Huron-Kinloss)
Midwestern

Funding given to Women in Carpentry program

The Ontario Skills Development fund has made an investment into a local skilled trades program.

The Women in Carpentry 2.0 program has received almost $290,000 from the fund. The program was originally founded through a partnership between the Township of Huron-Kinloss, UBC Local 2222, VPI Employment Services, and Fanshawe College. A release states the The Women in Carpentry program "provides women with hands-on skills and certification needs for the job site with the goal of diversifying the employee base of the carpentry trade." The first part of the program began in August last summer with a second set of participants beginning in January of this year.

The Women in Carpentry program also helps out local communities, with students building a final project that benefits local organizations. Those include garden sheds donated to Ripley-Huron Community School and Community Living Kincardine and District. The new funding was presented to the program by Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson.

Both groups participated in skills upgrading for math and communication provided by Fanshawe College, and then received training and much needed certifications from UBC Local 2222 for:

• Fall Protection & Confined Space • WHMIS & Emergency First Aid • Basic Health & Safety Awareness • Power Elevated Work Platforms • Mental Health in the Workplace • Workplace Violence and Harassment

Students were also fitted with safety gear, a basic tool belt, and tool kit, making them ready for their 8-week paid work placement.

Women in Carpentry 2.0 will see some changes and improvements to the program following the new funding.

“Huron-Kinloss identified the need for more skilled trades workers in our strategic plan we are helping to solve this problem,” says Huron-Kinloss Mayor Mitch Twolan.

For information about the program, contact Program Coordinator Kristin Dimmick at kdimmick@huronkinloss.com or call 519-708-0733.

 

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