It's being called an amazing opportunity for women interested in becoming mechanics or heavy duty equipment technicians.
Eight local women are enrolled in the 16 week Women Ready to Work in Automotive pre-apprenticeship training program in Sarnia, which wraps up in November.
The initiative, started by Women Building Futures (WBF), is the first of its kind in Ontario after seeing success in Alberta.
Ontario Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity Charmaine Williams visited the city to get a firsthand look at the program and meet with students on Tuesday.
The program consists of eight weeks in-class and eight weeks in-field, paid placements.
Williams said the goal is to fill worker shortages and bridge the gap when it comes to women in the male-dominated trades.
"Right now, especially when we are in an economic crisis, we need to make sure women are getting the training for the jobs of today and for the future," said Williams. "Women Building Futures is doing that. We're going to be investing millions in our economy and in our infrastructure. We're going to need the people to be able to do these jobs. I want to make sure women are at the top of the list when it comes to these opportunities."
Williams said the program is changing women's lives.
"I worked in a sector where I worked with a lot of women who were fleeing violence," she said. "A lot of times, they were going back to those abusive situations because they didn't have the financial stability. When a woman needs to leave, they need to be able to afford their own rent and be able to take care of their kids. We often see women who have a stable employment, who have income, they're able to escape faster. I want that opportunity for every woman."
Jennifer Cooper is one of eight women enrolled in the program.
She said she's always had a knack for tools and making repairs.
"I've been working on a lot of the cars here, it's been great," said Cooper. "I'd rather go out to Princess Auto than to the mall, clothes shopping. I'm working part-time, four jobs, and it's just tiring. I just wanted something where I could be steady and get into a career. I went into nursing and found out that it really wasn't for me. I saw this opportunity and I just jumped on it."
Student Sydney Sutcliffe said she's learned a lot since August.
"We've learned engines, brakes, ignitions, how to change spark plugs," said Sutcliffe. "There's a lot to it in such a short amount of time. But, it's definitely been an experience."
Savannah Cloud said she sees herself becoming an apprentice in the automotive industry.
"I do like heavy equipment but I feel like I'm leaning toward vehicles just because there's such a gap of women there," said Cloud. "Even having more female mechanics out there would be better for everyone because you want to be a role model to people too."
Cloud said the industry is always evolving.
"Especially right now, it's going towards electric vehicles," she said. "I want to build a good foundation of knowledge for myself and eventually, hopefully, grow with the industry and specialize in electric vehicles. We have such a short amount of workers who are able to do so in Canada right now."
As of late July, Statistics Canada said there were about 2,500 auto technician vacancies in Ontario, and around 6,800 across the country.
In 2023-2024, 284 women graduated from WBF programs, which is a 95 per cent success rate.
About 80 per cent of them found employment in their chosen fields within six months of graduation.
Since it started in Alberta in 1998, more than 3,000 individuals have graduated from WBF programs.