Women in the Skilled Trades in Ontario: Who Does the Work, and How to Get In

TL;DR.The skilled trades are mostly done by men in Ontario today, and Job Bank's figures show it trade by trade below. That is a description, not a rule. You enter most trades through an apprenticeship: a sponsor, a registration and paid training on the job. There are free programs for girls in school and for adult women, some official routes if something goes wrong at work, and a few honest questions worth asking before you sign anything.

What share of tradespeople in Ontario are women?

In 14 of the 20 biggest trades in Ontario, Job Bank reports women at under 5% of the people working. The highest share in the table is 35%, for bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators. These describe who does the work today. They are not a rule, and they say nothing about who can.

Job Bank (Employment and Social Development Canada, from Statistics Canada data), Ontario pages read 5 October 2026. The 20largest jobs in the trades groups of the national occupation codes (repair, installation, construction, industrial and heavy equipment trades, drivers and operators) at college or apprenticeship level, with at least 500 people employed and a women's share published. Supervisors and pilots are left out. Median pay is the hourly wage for 2023-2024. “Under 5%” is how Job Bank reports the lowest shares.

What the table shows

• The lowest reported share is the most common one. 14 of the 20 jobs are at under 5%, including transport truck drivers, automotive service technicians and electricians.
• The highest share is 35%, in bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators. Outside the driving jobs, the highest is 15%, in painters and decorators (except interior decorators).
• The best-paid of these 20 jobs are industrial electricians ($40.50 an hour, women under 5%); heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics ($37.00 an hour, women under 5%); construction millwrights and industrial mechanics ($35.59 an hour, women under 5%).
• Where Job Bank's outlook is good or very good: heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics ($37.00 an hour, women under 5%); bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators ($22.43 an hour, women 35%). The outlook is Job Bank's forecast of openings against people looking, not a promise.

How to read this honestly. A low share tells you who has been doing the work. It is not a reason to avoid a trade, and it is not a reason to expect a bad experience: it does not measure how any workplace treats the people in it. It is also a reason to do your homework, which is what the sections below are for. For more on the same idea in another field, see women in agriculture in Ontario, and for the trades ranked by pay and outlook, see the best trades careers in Ontario.

How do you get into a skilled trade in Ontario?

Many skilled trades are entered through an apprenticeship. You find a sponsor who is responsible for your training, register with Skilled Trades Ontario, and are paid while you train. To register you must be at least 16, be allowed to work in Canada, meet the trade's education requirement and have a sponsor.

If you want a place to start looking, the trades hub covers what each trade involves, and jobs, described honestly has the day-to-day version.

Can you start a trade before you finish high school?

Yes, through two school-based routes that Skilled Trades Ontario names. The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program lets students begin apprenticeship training while still in high school, and a Specialist High Skills Major lets you focus on a sector such as construction or manufacturing. Ask your guidance counsellor which your school offers.

Read more on OYAP and the Specialist High Skills Major.

What programs exist for girls in Grades 6 to 12?

Skills Ontario runs Young Women's Initiatives, events where girls explore skilled trades and tech, with different events for different grades from Grade 6 to Grade 12. Teachers or school board contacts register a group, and most events list a $25 fee per student, lunch included. Check the page for this year's dates.

If you are in these grades, the quickest step is to show your teacher or guidance counsellor that page.

What training exists for adult women?

Ontario's free pre-apprenticeship training lists women among the groups it serves. It runs up to 52 weeks and includes an 8 to 12 week work placement. The province says it costs nothing and covers textbooks, safety equipment and tools. Employment Ontario can help you find a provider and apply.

Women's Economic Security Program

The province also funds a program for women with low incomes, with a skilled trades stream beside entrepreneurship, information technology and general employment training. Its page lists food during the training day, transportation, help finding child care and referrals to mental health, counselling, housing and legal support, and it names the colleges and community organizations that deliver the trades training. Read the program page (updated 21 May 2026). It does not give application steps, so contact the organization you are interested in.

Federal projects for women apprentices

The federal Women in the Skilled Trades Initiative funds organizations to recruit and support women apprentices in Red Seal trades in construction and manufacturing. The page describes funding for organizations and gives no way for an individual to apply, so we do not list it as something you can sign up for. If you are an apprentice, ask your college or union whether a funded project near you takes participants.

How do you find a sponsor?

A sponsor is who signs your training agreement and is responsible for your training. Skilled Trades Ontario lists school guidance counsellors (OYAP and dual credit), college career centres, online postings, Employment Ontario, unions and trade associations, local businesses and personal networks. Start with two or three of those and ask each who hires apprentices.

A sponsor is a long-term arrangement, so it is fine to talk to more than one before you choose. A pre-apprenticeship placement, a high school co-op or an OYAP placement is also a way to meet one.

What should you ask an employer or school before you join?

Ask for the training plan in writing, who will supervise you day to day, what safety training and equipment you get, and how complaints are handled. Ontario employers must have a workplace harassment policy and program, so a good employer can show you theirs. Ask any school or program where its graduates end up.

• Who will I work next to, and who do I report to? Can I meet them first?
• How are hours and skills recorded in my logbook, and who signs it off?
• Will I get the full range of the trade's tasks, or mostly one job?
• Is protective equipment provided, and does it fit? Is there a washroom and a place to change on site?
• What happens if I raise a safety or harassment concern? Can I see the written policy?
• For a school: how many students find a sponsor, and does the program arrange placements?

An employer who answers these plainly is a good sign. One who gets annoyed that you asked is also telling you something. Bring a parent, a counsellor or a mentor if that helps.

Where do you go if something goes wrong at work?

Tell your supervisor, your employer or the person named in the workplace harassment program. If that fails, you can call the Ministry of Labour's Health and Safety Contact Centre at 1-877-202-0008, and in an emergency call 911. For discrimination or harassment under the Human Rights Code, you can apply to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario within one year.

• Health and Safety Contact Centre: 1-877-202-0008, TTY 1-855-653-9260. The Ministry's regional offices page says it takes reports of unsafe work practices, work refusals and critical injuries (updated 12 December 2024).
• Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario: the tribunal's application page says you must file within one year of when the discrimination or harassment happened, or of the last event if there were several. It points to the free Human Rights Legal Support Centre for legal advice.
• Your rights to refuse unsafe work are explained in our guide to jobs for teens, and apply to every worker.

If you are under 18, tell a parent or guardian too. Write down what happened, when, and who saw it, while you remember it clearly.

Is there a network of women already working in the trades?

The Canadian Association of Women in Construction is a national not-for-profit with student, individual and corporate memberships. Its site lists mentorship, community events, bursary opportunities and career resources, and shows recent news and events. Its focus is the construction industry, so use it alongside the routes above.

cawic.ca. We list only organizations whose own site we opened and found active, so this is not a complete list. If you know of another, tell us.

What to do next

Pick two trades from the table that you would like to try, read what they involve on the trades hub, and ask your school which of the programs above it offers. If you are not sure what you like yet, Future Finder is a good place to start.