Ontario students discover manufacturing careers at Trades Week expo

It’s Trades Week, Ontario’s largest virtual skilled trades expo for high school students.

Build a Dream is hosting the weeklong celebration to highlight careers in the trades from May 17-21, with a two-day Career Discovery expo running on the evenings of May 19-20.

The expo is open to Ontario school board partners with free registration to all students in grades 9-12. Parents and families are encouraged to attend.

On the industrial side, representatives from Toyota Manufacturing, Bruce Power, Automate Canada and CAMM are all scheduled to speak, as well as welder Alicia Butty.

Registration provides access to speakers, job-readiness advice, breakout rooms with industry and employers, career resources, contests and prizes, and DIY pizza kits for the first 500 families that register.

“A lot of people might be working with incorrect information or they might not even get to see skilled trades in the world around them so that positive association is not always there,” says Nour Hachem-Fawaz, president and founder of Build a Dream, a national non-profit that promotes careers in trades, STEM and entrepreneurship. “It’s time to give trades the time and attention it deserves and spread awareness about the amazing opportunities available.”

All week long, Build a Dream is promoting the trades as a career of choice through their social media, podcast and blog.

Register for the Career Discovery Expo here.