OC launching tuition-free welding program for women

Okanagan College is launching a new program designed specifically to encourage women to consider a career in welding this winter and spring.

The Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program, supported by the CWB Welding Foundation, will run for 12 weeks starting on March 27, with in-person training at OC’s Penticton campus.

As one of the 14 host sites in Canada, OC will give students the opportunity to gain skills related to welding, as well as foster education, personal growth, confidence and experiential learning.

“We continue to look for new opportunities that will support students to gain the skills they need now, helping them get good jobs in industries where communities need them,” says Dr. Neil Fassina, the president of OC.

“This partnership with the CWB Welding Foundation will help connect women with career opportunities and support our vision of transforming lives and communities," he adds. "Skilled trades professionals are critical to the ongoing health and growth of our economy in this region and across the province.”

This pre-employment program is tuition-free and includes practical theory, hands-on welding training and skills development with a schedule designed to help students balance their school and personal lives.

Short training periods will be used to train the participants in several welding processes, with the ability to obtain several CWB welding qualifications in various positions with multiple processes, making graduates ready for apprenticeship, post-secondary and employment.

The Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Adult Learning Literacy and Essential Skills - Women Employment Readiness Program.

It is open to individuals who identify as a woman and/or non-binary, including those from racialized or marginalized groups such as Indigenous, Black, newcomers, LGBTQ2S, women with disabilities and with a prolonged detachment from the labour force.

The CWB Welding Foundation is a national registered charity that relies on the support of industry and community organizations to address the welding skilled trade shortage in Canada.

To learn more or apply for the program, visit Okanagan.bc.ca.