Category: Public Events

Join CAF-FCA and tradeswomen from various sectors across Canada for a discussion on effective recruitment and retention practices. Throughout the series, we will cover seven key topics related to recruitment and retention, offering valuable insights and recommendations from industry experts, including employers, apprentices, associations, and other apprenticeship stakeholders. Learn about the challenges faced by employers in the trades and discover strategies to build and maintain a diverse workforce. These proven strategies have been endorsed by successful peers in the field. Gain valuable insights into how companies overcame obstacles, planned for change, and implemented effective strategies. Walk away with actionable steps, resources, and a clear understanding of how to improve your organization’s recruitment and retention efforts.

Attendees will also receive a comprehensive recruitment and retention guide based on research findings, as well as interviews and focus groups with employers, apprentices, and apprenticeship stakeholders across Canada.

Register for one or multiple sessions. You can also register for future sessions at a later time. See session descriptions below.

REGISTER HERE

Session #1 – Introduction to recruitment and retention of women in the skilled trades (Registration Closed)

Date: Thursday, September 12^th, 2024
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In this first session, we’ll provide an overview of the Recruitment and Retention Best Practices guide and webinar series.  We’ll walk through some of the barriers that women and gender diverse individuals face when entering the trades, and we’ll talk about how to overcome some of those barriers to help women thrive within your workplace.  We’ll also discuss the importance of culture audits and setting targets.  Not only will we share the results we’ve found from our research and focus groups, but we’ll also share real-life examples from your peers in the field to share with you what companies like yours have implemented effectively.  Lastly, we’ll hear from a tradeswoman who will share her experience and recommendations.

Session #2 – Preparing for recruitment – Casting a wider net (Registration Closed)

Date: Thursday, November 14^th, 2024
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In the second session, we’ll review the case studies we discussed in the first session and expand on the recruiting strategies that worked for them, along with the strategies that required improvement.  We’ll talk about setting targets for recruitment, how to shape your job ads, and how to connect with associations and other stakeholders who can assist with your recruitment.  We’ll also discuss the interview setting and recommendations to ensure the process is as inclusive and welcoming as possible to show your candidates that your company will be a good fit for them.  We’ll hear from a tradeswomen regarding her experience with recruitment and her recommendations to attract women to your organization.

Session #3 – Onboarding and training – Making a good first impression

Date: Thursday, January 9^th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In the third session, we’ll talk about creating a training plan as well as preparing your current staff for welcoming and onboarding the new team members.  We’ll discuss the importance of clear training goals, transparent communication, and structured training processes.  A tradeswoman will join us to share the strategies that she found were effective during her initial training process.

Session #4 – The mentorship experience – how to choose and train your mentors

Date: Thursday, March 13^th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In the fourth session, we’ll discuss the importance of the mentorship relationship.  We’ll look at case studies from across Canada showing effective strategies that other employers in the filed have implemented successfully, which have improved their retention.  We’ll review recommendations from CAF-FCA focus groups with various apprenticeship stakeholders, and we’ll hear from a tradeswoman regarding her experience with mentorship.

Session #5 – Improving retention – how to keep your staff and create loyalty

Date: Thursday, May 8^th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In the fifth session, we’ll discuss the importance of retention for productivity, cost savings, corporate culture, optics in the community, and staff morale.  We’ll review strategies that other companies have used to successfully improve retention and will also look at recommendations from our focus groups and previous research.  We’ll hear from a tradeswoman who will share her perspective on what makes a person stay with their organization and what you can do to create loyalty amongst your staff.

Session #6 – Supporting leadership opportunities and growth

Date: Thursday, September 11^th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In the sixth session, we’ll discuss the importance of creating leadership opportunities for women in the trades and providing clear paths for growth within the organization.  Often, women don’t see themselves in leadership roles within the trades, which can lead to hesitancy when applying.  By creating avenues for women to get into leadership positions, your organization can help to increase the number of women in the skilled trades in Canada.  We’ll look at strategies to create clear paths to leadership, which not only assist with recruitment, but will also positively impact retention.  We’ll hear from a tradeswoman as well, who will share her experience with leadership and career growth.

Session #7 – The future of the trades – Increasing visibility and interest

Date: Thursday, November 13^th, 2025
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm ET
Overview: In the last session, we’ll discuss the future of the skilled trades and what you can do to create awareness of apprenticeship, as well as showcase the amazing opportunities that exist within the trades.  We’ll talk about how to increase visibility of these exciting career opportunities and will close with one last chat with a tradeswoman about her experience.