Skilled trades · Windsor-Essex, Ontario
Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor (WEST): what it is, who it is for.
A Windsor non-profit that runs employment, newcomer, youth and Women in Skilled Trades pre-apprenticeship programs for women.
By Nick Gonzalez, founder, U.S. Air Force veteranPublished Last reviewed How we research and correct this
About
What WEST Inc does
Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc. (WEST) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1984 to address high unemployment among women. It began operating in 1987 and now serves women from Windsor-Essex and beyond.
It works with women looking for employment, training or career advancement, including newcomers, youth, seniors and women interested in skilled trades.
Program eligibility and intake dates change. Confirm them with WEST before you plan around a program.
Programs and initiatives
What they offer
- Women in Skilled TradesCNC Industrial Mechanic Millwright and Electrical pre-apprenticeship programs, STARS (air conditioning, refrigeration and sheet metal), SMART (apprenticeship retention and micro-credentials) and ICCTW (an introduction to construction and craft trades).Official site
- Employment programsApprenticeship, Better Jobs Ontario, computer training, job preparation, job fairs and integrated employment services.Official site
- Newcomer and youth programsSettlement assistance, language and skills development, and the EDGE and L.E.A.D. young women's programs.Official site
- For employersHire an apprentice, host a placement, training and grant programs, and wage subsidy programs.Official site
Who it is for
Is this for you?
- Women who want to move into a skilled trade through pre-apprenticeship
- Newcomers, youth and seniors looking for employment help
- Windsor-Essex employers who want to hire or host apprentices and placements
Contact
- Address: 647 Ouellette Avenue, Windsor, ON N9A 4J4
- Phone: 519-256-6621
- Email: info@westofwindsor.com
- Book an appointment through the official site
Launch League is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a partner of Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor (WEST). This is our own summary of what it says publicly, read on 2026-11-04. Programs, dates and eligibility change, so confirm on the official site.
Questions
Quick answers
- What is WEST Inc in Windsor?
- Women's Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc. is a non-profit charity founded in 1984 that runs employment, newcomer, youth and Women in Skilled Trades programs for women in Windsor-Essex and beyond.
- What is the Women in Skilled Trades program?
- WEST's skilled trades programs include CNC Industrial Mechanic Millwright and Electrical pre-apprenticeships, STARS, SMART and ICCTW. See the official site for intake dates and entry requirements.
- Is WEST near Chatham-Kent?
- WEST is in Windsor, about an hour west of Chatham-Kent, and serves Windsor-Essex and beyond. Contact them to ask whether a program is open to you.
Keep going
More for the trades
- $5,000 Red Seal Completion Bonus guideWho qualifies, the dates, what to have ready and how to apply.New
- Apprenticeship grants, loans and incentivesEvery federal program for apprentices, tradespeople and employers in one place, with what is open and what is coming.Funding
- Red Seal trades list: all 54 tradesWhat the Red Seal is, which trades have it and how to register for the exam.List
- Skilled trades organizationsSkilled Trades Ontario, the Skilled Trades Advisory Council, Women on Site, Support Ontario Youth, Jill of All Trades and WEST: what each does and who it is for.Directory