For Release
April 13, 2007
EDMONTON, AB – Low-income and Aboriginal women
training for careers in the trades will benefit from an additional $331,292
investment in the Women Building Futures (WBF) Training Centre, bringing
total funding from Canada’s New Government to $1,181,292.
The new Training Centre will enable the Women Building Futures Society
to increase the number of students graduating from its 16-week, pre-apprentice
training program from 60 to as many as 400 annually. Ninety per
cent of Women Building Futures graduates find employment in Alberta’s
construction and oil and gas trades.
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council
for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western
Economic Diversification made the announcement today.
“Canada’s New Government recognizes the need for skilled
tradespeople to meet the demand in Alberta’s booming economy,” said
Minister Ambrose. “Today’s investment of
over $330,000 is good for business, our economy as well as women, particularly
Aboriginal women, who will be provided support to enter the workforce
and have a chance to reach their full potential.”
Funding is directed towards converting the main floor and basement of
an existing warehouse into a teaching, administrative and small retail
area. This space will become WBF’s Training Centre. WBF
is also retrofitting the top floor of the warehouse and adding two additional
floors to create 42 affordable housing units for low-income women who
want to enroll in its program.
“This additional support from Western Economic Diversification
Canada will help us leverage further funding, so that we can continue
constructing our Training Centre and meet the growing needs of our students
and program,” said Tamara Hauglum, Chair of the Women Building
Futures Board of Directors. “This project is critical to
ensuring that women who graduate from our program have the skills and
training to pursue meaningful careers and build better lives.”
Women
Building Futures is a non-profit, charitable organization
that works to help women build better lives and achieve economic independence
through training, mentorship and employment support. To
date, more than 200 low-income women have graduated from WBF’s 16-week,
pre-apprentice training program. The organization is recognized
by industry as a supplier of quality, apprenticeship-ready tradespeople. WBF’s
new, 45,000 square-foot training and housing facility is scheduled
to open in 2008.
For additional information, contact:
Donna Kinley
Communications Manager
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Edmonton, Alberta
Tel: (780) 495-6892
JudyLynn Archer
Chief Executive Officer
Women Building Futures
Telephone: (780) 452-1200
WD Toll-Free Number:
1 888 338-WEST (9378)
Web Site: WD is online at
www.wd-deo.gc.ca.
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Backgrounder
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD)
Western Economic Diversification Canada works in partnership with
the provinces, industry associations and communities to stimulate and
diversify Western Canada’s economy, as well as to represent the
interests of the West in national economic policy.
WD is announcing
an investment of $331,292 in the Women Building Futures (WBF) Training
Facility. This funding builds on WD’s previous
investment of $850,000 announced in March 2006, bringing total funding
to $1,181,292.
WD’s investment, made through its Western Diversification Program
(WDP), supports the Government of Canada’s commitments to invest
in research, development and technology commercialization; support
small and medium-sized enterprises; and promote a diversified and expanded
business sector.
The underlying objective of the WDP is to create a stronger West
and a stronger Canada. Several guiding principles are used to help
assess how initiatives contribute to this objective, including:
increased
economic activity that improves the viability, prosperity, and
standard of living for individuals and communities across Western
Canada.
increased economic research in the areas of community economic
development, leading-edge technologies and entrepreneurship to
provide a sound base for economic development in areas of importance
to Western Canada.
Other elements that are considered when determining
the relative merit of proposals include: the measurable impact
on the western Canadian economy, viability, long-term benefits,
and the participation of other stakeholders.
Women Building Futures Society (WBF)
WBF was founded in 1998 in response to the growing number of women
and children living in poverty in Edmonton.
After assessing labour
market opportunities, and the skills and financial needs of low-income
women, a trades training program for women was launched.
To date, more
than 200 low-income women have graduated from the WBF’s
16- week, pre-apprentice training program. As well, WBF
has been responsible for a 90 per cent student success rate and is
recognized as a key supplier of quality tradespeople.
Partnerships
with key industry stakeholders such as Merit Contractors Association,
the Construction Owners Association of Alberta, Christian Labour Association
of Canada and individual employers help ensure that WBF’s program
meets the needs of industry.
WBF’s training program Journeywomen
Start is an approved, tuition based program. The majority of women
taking the training are on unemployment assistance or social assistance.
In
January 2005, WBF launched FixIt Chicks, which offers home renovation,
repair and maintenance workshops for women. All proceeds from this
enterprise flow back to WBF to help offset training costs for low-income
women.
Through this project, the lower two floors of the warehouse will
be renovated into a new WBF training and retail facility and the top
floor will be retrofitted into student housing units. Two more floors
of student housing will be added on top of this, for a total of 42 affordable
housing units for low-income women who want to enroll in WBF programs.
