Programs that turn interest into careers.

A 12-week, full-time finishing trades program in Saint John for women ready to start a new career, with no prior experience required. Participants learn painting, surface preparation, drywall crack filling, and flooring installation, along with workplace safety certifications and career readiness skills like résumé writing and interview prep. Training happens in a dedicated classroom and workshop, where participants build a full-scale mobile training wall from framing through to finishing. Safety equipment and mentorship from working tradeswomen are included, and the first cohort's training is paid thanks to Workplace Connections NB. The program ends with a 60-hour, two-week work placement with a local contractor.

Running October to December, our school program pairs teams of high school girls with women working in the skilled trades. Each team visits their role model's workplace for a half-day, builds a presentation about her career to share at school, and then competes at a 1.5-day regional GETNB event full of hands-on activities. We work directly with principals and guidance counsellors to bring the program into schools across the province.

If you work in the trades, your story could be the one that changes someone's mind. School Role Models partner with a student team for the season, hosting a workplace visit, attending their presentation, and joining the regional event. Guest Role Models run hands-on stations at one or more events, where participants rotate between trades and employers to try the work and ask questions. Each event takes about four hours, and we welcome women from every trade, from carpentry and electrical to welding, HVAC, and heavy equipment.

Host a program graduate for a two-week, 60-hour work placement and gain a motivated, safety-trained team member while giving her the job-site experience that launches her career. Employers can also get involved by sharing their expertise in the classroom, donating materials, or completing our Employer Needs Survey, which helps us train graduates for the roles your crews need most.