Women in Trades, TRU

Thanks to generous funding from Mark's, 10 trades students will be able to attend the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) National Conference in Calgary from September 15th - 17th, 2026.

This is a valuable opportunity to connect with construction industry professionals, expand your network, gain new insights, and explore career opportunities.

Learn more and apply through the link below:

Conference 2026 – Student Application | The Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) CAWIC Students: Apply to Join Us at the CAWIC Conference Thanks to the generous support of Mark’s Commercial, 10 students will have the opportunity to attend the CAWIC Annual National Conference from September 15-17. This is a valuable opportunity to connect with construction industry professional...

Congratulations to second year electrical apprentice and Thompson Rivers University student, Gabby Labbe who has become one of the four national 2025 Dakota Prep Fellows! 🎉

Gabby has always had a gift of helping others, so it's not surprising that she has created guides for coworkers, mentorship groups for students at TRU Trades & Technology and been a source of inspiration amongst her peers. ⚡💡

Read more about her inspiring journey here: https://www.dakotaprep.com/ca/post/gabby-labbe-dakota-prep-fellow-2026

The Dakota Prep Fellowship recognizes and supports four exceptional electrical apprentices across Canada who have demonstrated a deep commitment to mentoring and assisting their peers to advance the trades.

Thompson Rivers University Alumni

The final two weeks of the Women in Trades Training Exploratory Program flew by in a whirlwind of activity. During this time, students completed their safety certifications and participated in mock interviews with industry leaders and partners from Coeur New Gold, Teck Acres Enterprises Ltd. and Finning Canada.

They also took part in valuable site visits, including a tour of Teck Highland Valley Copper, made possible by our strong community partners there, and a visit to Inland Truck & Equipment hosted by Katherine, Laura and Tom. Both tours were incredibly educational and inspiring, and we're grateful for your time and expertise.

The program concluded with a well-deserved completion ceremony. Congratulations to all of the students on finishing your 12-week journey in trades at TRU. We are thrilled to see so many of you continuing your education in the trades, and we look forward to seeing you in the halls, shops, and job sites in the future.

In recognition of International Day of Women In Mining 2026 today, we are offering free individual registrations to our Gender Equity in Mining eLearning. GEM helps build capacity to support gender equity and inclusion in mining workplaces. Email [email protected] between June 15 - 18 to request your free access.

The Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) bursaries are now open for all to apply! There are awards for excellence, emerging leaders in trades, industry leaders, volunteers and more.

Application deadline is June 12th, 2026. Best of luck to all who apply.

CAWIC Bursary Program 2025 | The Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) CAWIC Bursaries CAWIC provides educational bursaries each year to help empower women to take the first steps in their successful construction career. Each year, the CAWIC Bursary Committee awards outstanding women with $2,000 bursaries. The program is open to women in construction-related programs.....

We often share photos of our Women Exploring Trades students hard at work on their projects alongside their instructors- but today, we're switching things up. Because even in the middle of learning and putting in the effort, there's always room for a little laughter and fun..

Without further ado...we present THE OUTTAKES. 🤣🌟

Are you a woman or gender-diverse individual trades student, alum or mentor wanting to get more involved with the Women in Trades, TRU initiative?

Are you wanting to practice public speaking more, network with others in trades, make connections, guide those who are new to trades and showcase all that the trades have to offer as a profession?

Then reach out to [email protected], as there are some upcoming event opportunities we'd love to discuss with you.

Last week, the students in the Women in Trades Exploratory program buckled up for a whirlwind week in the mechanics shop with their Instructor, Luc.

The students went full throttle, learning about repairs and mechanical equipment, and even got to test some of the shop's machinery. It had more than one student feeling pumped about the trade.

Follow along as there are more trades to tackle as the students complete the back half of the program.

Last week, staff and mentors from the Women in Trades, TRU initiative were delighted to take part in a cedar box building workshop series with Kamloops Immigrant Services and Construction Foundation of British Columbia.

Participants worked on building their own cedar box planter, guided by their instructor and TRU carpentry leader Gio. They were also able to hear about some of the many initiatives at Women in Trades, TRU TRU Trades & Technology and TRU Community Education Kamloops that newcomers to Canada might be interested in.

Thank you to the staff at both Kamloops Immigrant Services and the Construction Foundation of British Columbia for having us join. It was a lot of fun.

If you'd like to hear about the TRU Trades/Women in Trades and Community Education programs, courses, tickets, and initiatives that could be applicable to newcomers to Canada, those with PR, refugee status, or otherwise, please join us for an online info session on Thursday, March 16th at 6:30 pm.

Register at: https://we.cfbc.ca/exploring-the-trades

Last week, the women exploring trades class lit up in the electrical lab as they took on a week of Electrical learning with their Instructor, Mike.

The students were able to work in the shop, shadow a current foundation class, and even tackle some math with ease. By the end of the week, the trades seemed to have sparked the interest of more than one student.