Fitting in on site

Everyone belongs on that site

Retention, not recruitment, is where BC loses apprentices. The fixes are concrete: a mentor who answers the phone, PPE that fits the body wearing it, a private washroom, and a harassment policy the employer enforces.

BCCWITT

BC Centre for Women in the Trades

BCCWITT is the provincial network connecting women and gender-diverse people to trades training, mentorship and employers who have committed to inclusive hiring. For a secondary student, the entry point is a sampler course, a low-commitment way to test three or four trades in a supportive cohort.

Mentorship matching

One-to-one pairing with a journeyperson or senior apprentice in the student's trade. Mentors answer the questions students will not ask a supervisor: tools, culture, pay and progression.

Request a mentor through the BCCWITT network or your college's women in trades office.

Women in Trades sampler

Short multi-week discovery programs delivered at BCIT, VCC and UAPIC. Students rotate through carpentry, electrical, plumbing and welding shops with instruction geared to first-time tool users.

Ask the district coordinator about referrals and how to get a place.

Employer readiness

Ask whether the sponsoring employer has hired women apprentices before, whether any are still there, and who the student can go to that is not their direct supervisor.

Retention history is the single most useful question a parent can ask an employer.

Physical Safety

PPE that fits is a safety requirement

Women's-cut PPE and the CSA Green Triangle

Green triangle: CSA-certified footwear with a Grade 1 toe cap and puncture-resistant sole, the standard required on most BC construction sites. Confirm the triangle mark is on the boot, not just the box.
Fit is not cosmetic: oversized gloves catch in rotating equipment, long sleeves on a loose coverall snag, and boots that slip cause falls. Men's small is not a substitute for a women's last.
Harnesses: fall-protection harnesses must be sized to the wearer. Women's-specific harnesses with correct chest-strap geometry are available; request them by name.
Who pays: in BC the employer must provide and pay for most PPE other than general-purpose safety footwear and headwear. Clarify this before the first shift.

Washroom and changing facilities

Employers must provide sanitary washroom facilities. Where any worker requires privacy, a separate lockable facility is required. A shared open portable unit is not adequate.
Ask: is there a lockable, lit, stocked, regularly serviced washroom on site, and how far is it from where the student will work?
Changing space matters on sites where PPE must be put on and removed. A vehicle is not a changing room.
If facilities are inadequate, this is a WorkSafeBC matter, not an inconvenience the apprentice should be expected to absorb.

LGBTQ+ Support

Respect is a documented policy, not a vibe

Build TogetHER

Build TogetHER supports women, non-binary and 2SLGBTQ+ people entering and staying in the BC construction workforce, connecting participants with inclusive employers, peer community and practical navigation support during the first years on the tools. For a student, it provides a network outside the jobsite hierarchy, which is exactly what makes reporting a problem possible.

Respectful Workplace: Policy 115 (Bullying & Harassment)

BC employers have a legal duty to prevent and address workplace bullying and harassment. That duty includes a written policy statement, a reporting procedure that does not require reporting to the harasser, an investigation process, and training for supervisors and workers. Harassment on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation is also prohibited discrimination under the BC Human Rights Code.

Ask the employer for a copy of their bullying and harassment policy before the placement begins. If none exists, that is your answer.

Useful contacts: WorkSafeBC Prevention Information Line BC Human Rights Clinic SkilledTradesBC apprenticeship advisors

Where this comes from

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these. Rules and dollar amounts change, so check the original before you act on it.

BC Centre for Women in the Trades (opens in a new tab)
BCCWITT
Mentorship, PPE fit and workplace inclusion resources.
SOGI policy and human rights protection in BC schools (opens in a new tab)
BC Human Rights Tribunal / Ministry of Education
Protection from discrimination on gender identity and expression.
Your rights and responsibilities as a worker (opens in a new tab)
WorkSafeBC
Right to know, right to participate, right to refuse unsafe work.

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