Women Building Futures

Carol Moen, P. Eng., the president and CEO of Women Building Futures is moving towards her version of retirement.  Carol, an engineer by profession, came out of retirement five years ago to take the helm of WBF. With the birth of her first grandchild this fall, it is time to turn her focus back to family and personal growth. We applaud her decision and wish Carol all the best.    WBF’s Board of Directors will launch a recruitment effort very soon and plan to have a new CEO in place by late spring or early summer 2025. To ensure a smooth transition, Carol will stay on until mid-2025.  Carol has led the organization through a period of remarkable growth, with WBF increasing its presence around Alberta and into Saskatchewan and Ontario. More importantly, however, is the growing number of women and gender-diverse individuals we are inspiring to change their lives through rewarding careers in the skilled trades and transportation sectors. In 2023-24 WBF graduated 284 women from our training programs, more than ever before. “I am particularly proud of the strong, passionate and dynamic team of leaders I’ve built during this time,” Carol reflected. “Together with their dedicated staff, I have no doubt that the number of women WBF supports will continue to grow.”  Of course, WBF’s mission could not be achieved without the generous support of our partners in government, industry and the NGO sector. In recent years, the number of organizations supporting our mission to help women change their lives for the better has continued to grow. “It has been an incredibly rewarding time with WBF,” she told staff. “We are on the right path to ensure stability and continued success. There is a solid plan in place for 2025-26 and now is a suitable time for a new leader to come to the table with a fresh heart and mind.”  "Through her vision, Carol turned opportunity into impact,” said Landa Richards, chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. “WBF is growing and helping more women establish careers in the skilled trades and commercial transportation, leading to increased economic security for themselves and their families." Read the full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gkC3_3Dx

🦺 A group of our Journey to Trades students were inspired during a site tour at Robert B Somerville in Acheson! The visit offered them a unique opportunity to hear directly from Somerville’s leadership team, who shared valuable advice about building a career in the trades. The students also learned about various pathways to employment and gained insights into what it takes to succeed in this industry. A heartfelt thank-you to the Somerville team for their time, expertise and support. Experiences like these are essential in helping our students see their future careers up-close and take their next steps with confidence. 📩 Be sure to join our mailing list to stay updated when a Journey to Trades program opens near you! To join our mailing list go to ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eYCc98a4

WORK PROUD IS COMING TO ONTARIO!    ATTENTION: MANAGERS, FIELD SUPERVISORS AND ASPIRING LEADERS! Want to improve recruitment and retention? Work Proud is a custom, in-person workplace inclusivity training program for employers, held on:    📅 Dec. 13 (Kingston, ON)  📅 Dec. 16 (London, ON)      This is no HR webinar! You’ll get the tools to create a workplace that attracts and keeps top talent.     You’ll leave with a better understanding of:  ⭐Inclusive environments  ⭐Unconscious bias  ⭐Positive and healthy workplace cultures  You’ll also learn practices you can apply in your workplace:   ✅Inclusion strategies  ✅Change management tips  ✅Celebrating diversity  Work Proud is a program created by Women Building Futures and presented in partnership with the CWB Welding Foundation, Fanshawe College, ConnectHER and with the support of Employment and Social Development Canada. For more than 25 years, WBF has helped trades employers of every size create more engaged, safe and inclusive workplaces.     Register today! KINGSTON: https://lnkd.in/gX_4pEM7  LONDON: https://lnkd.in/gXBuxUYw P.S. Does another professional come to mind? Don’t let them miss this opportunity —share this post! Spaces are limited. Don’t miss out!

Curious about how our free training programs and support can help you change your career?  Our information sessions are your opportunity to learn about WBF and ask all your questions! To see our list of upcoming information sessions and to save your spot, go to https://lnkd.in/gubTcwkF 

⚙️WBF partnered with Cross Canada Millwright Ltd. of Leduc, Alberta to open a new millwright shop in our Edmonton Training Centre. CCM, a national leader in the industry that is committed to empowering women in the skilled trades, generously supported this project with $5,000 contribution for set-up and implementation of the workshop and course curriculum, along with gathering donations of equipment. The newly-minted Cross Canada Millwright Workshop will give our Journey to Trades students one more career option to explore.

❤️Earlier this week, we shared Viera's story with you. Thank you to everyone who has donated already! There's still a chance for you to get involved. ⁠ ⁠ For over 25 years, WBF has positively impacted thousands of women, children, families and the communities they belong to. Because when you contribute to the economic security of women, like Viera, you uplift the potential of your entire community. ⁠ ⁠ We can’t do it without you. Please donate today to help us make a difference: https://lnkd.in/g84egC9F

⭐ Share-worthy! Don’t miss the opportunity to tour the Women Building Futures training centre – register now! ⁠ ⁠ Join us for our Women Building Futures GENERAL INFO SESSION & TOUR:⁠ 📅Saturday, Nov. 30⁠ ⏰️12 p.m. - 2 p.m. ⁠ 📍Downtown Edmonton, 10326-107 St. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 😀On the agenda: ⁠ ✅️Learn about our FREE programming ⁠ ✅️Safety orientation ⁠ ✅️Attend presentations (ask your questions) ⁠ ✅️Tour our housing (we have 42 safe and secure, affordable housing suites in downtown Edmonton) ⁠ ✅️You’ll learn more about our financial supports, like housing and see a fully furnished suite!) ⁠ ✅️Participate in workshop tours (see tools and where our Edmonton students learn the hands-on skills) ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 🥾Dress code: Closed-toe shoes. ⁠ 🙂Bring a friend! ⁠ 🥐Light snack provided. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 👉️To register got to: https://lnkd.in/gubTcwkF ⁠  See you there! 

❤️ Your generosity this holiday season – whether a little or a lot – will directly support our core mission of economic security for women and help us continue to surround our students with the support they need to succeed before, during and after taking a program with us. For over 25 years, WBF has positively impacted thousands of women, children, families and the communities they belong to. Because when you contribute to the economic security of women, like Viera, you uplift the potential of your entire community. We can’t do it without you. Please donate today to help us make a difference: https://lnkd.in/g84egC9F

AltaGas Ltd. invests in women building careers in the trades through a partnership with Women Building Futures.  As an Awareness Partner, AltaGas contributes to WBF’s basic readiness workshops, an essential step for women considering entry-level trades training. The workshops give women the opportunity to upgrade math skills, explore different trades, work on emotional and physical well-being, and learn to take control of personal finances.       Kari, a former student who completed the basic readiness workshops, credits the Personal Development workshop with helping improve her people skills. “I’m typically a very passive person, I don’t like conflict and I avoid confrontation even if it puts me at a disadvantage, but in this workshop, I learned the difference between being aggressive and assertive.”      With her newfound confidence, Kari entered WBF’s entry level trades training program, where she discovered an interest in carpentry and the glazier trades.     “No task or job or achievement is limited to a certain kind of person. Anyone can learn anything, given the right resources and we can truly do anything we put our minds to,” she says.          Thank you AltaGas for your support and belief in women building successful future in the trades!        For more information on Basic Readiness Workshops go to: https://lnkd.in/g4RU6kPV

💔It is with great sadness that Women Building Futures learned of the passing of the Honourable Murray Sinclair. As the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Murray Sinclair, became the voice of wisdom, light and hope as Canadians learned of residential schools, a dark chapter in colonialism. Mr. Sinclair spent his life as a lawyer, judge and a Senator advocating for and uplifting the rights of Indigenous Peoples across the country. WBF has made a commitment to acts of reconciliation, inspired by the work and findings of the TRC, that opened our eyes to our history and our duty to reconcile past harms and build a deeper and compassionate relationships with Indigenous Peoples, in our province and our country. We will continue to be guided by his vision and truths as we continue on our journey to reconciliation. Mr. Sinclair has left a legacy of hope and humanity which will resonate throughout the generations to come. The WBF sends our heartfelt condolences to his family and the Indigenous Peoples as they face a great and profound loss. 📷: Shannon VanRaes