Centennial College hosted a Jill of All Trades event on Oct. 24 meant to inspire young women in high school to consider careers in skilled trades and technologies.
More than 100 students from school boards across the Greater Toronto Area attended the full-day event, which took place at Centennial’s Ashtonbee campus in Scarborough, Ont. Students were able to rotate through workshops that offered them the ability to try different skilled trades.
“Jill of All Trades is an important opportunity to inspire young women about the possibility of trades as a career path they can take,” said Michelle Solomon, Outreach Coordinator, Women in Non-Traditional Careers, Centennial College, in a statement.
She added that trying out the skilled trades empowers students to explore the options available to them in industries like transportation and construction. For example, the college’s auto body workshop featured activities such as using a plasma cutter to cut a design into a piece of sheet metal. And the heavy-duty equipment workshop included activities like removing and installing a wheel that is more than four-feet tall on a Caterpillar Loader.
“Through first-hand experience, students learn just how rewarding the skilled trades can be,” said Alan McClelland, Dean of the School of Transportation at Centennial College. “Centennial College operates one of the largest transportation technology schools in Canada, so it’s a natural site for a skilled-trades orientation like Jill of All Trades.”
This is now the second year that Centennial hosted Jill of All Trades since the event was launched in 2014. It was founded by Conestoga College.
