Helping Women to Build Tomorrow's Skilled Workforce

To help address the crisis of affordability and availability in housing, the homebuilding industry and government in Canada are working to create millions of new homes. A key challenge to achieving this ambitious vision will be finding the skilled tradespeople essential to build these homes.

Currently, only 5% of skilled trades workers in Canada identify as women, and only 2% of 15-year-old female students indicate that they plan to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

These are just a few of the reasons why Mattamy was proud to deepen our relationship with Jill of All Trades (JOAT) by becoming a national sponsor for the 2024 JOAT program. Over the last decade, JOAT has been working to tap into women’s underused skills and talents by supplying young women in grades 9–12 with hands-on experience through events held at post-secondary institutions that offer trade programs. By providing a safe and engaging learning environment where female mentors, faculty and students engage in trades workshops, JOAT hopes to support young women who are considering the opportunities and benefits of a career in skilled trades and technologies.

JOAT was launched in 2014. Through gender-specific programming and mentoring opportunities, JOAT assists and encourages women to pursue careers in underrepresented and non-traditional occupations.

By 2026, JOAT plans to expand to 25 institutions across Canada and to 20 across the U.S., delivering more than 120 events.