July 22, 2020 – A program in New Brunswick aimed at supporting and mentoring women in apprenticeable trades—“New Boots: Progressing Women in Trades”—has been extended by three years.

“The New Boots program has continued to be proven successful […],” said Post-Secondary Education, Training & Labour Minister Trevor Holder. “It has succeeded in getting more women to register for apprenticeship and has been an important resource hub for women in construction-related skilled trades.”

It is sponsored by the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour and led by a non-profit organization, Mentor Apprentice Program Strategic Workforce Services. The program has also been supported by the New Brunswick Building Trades Unions.

“Over the past five years, the New Boots network has expanded from a cohort of 14 tradeswomen to over 250 tradeswomen today,” said Jean Marc Ringuette, president of NBBTU. “Employers are also seeing an increase in women filling positions in the skilled trades.”

Program goals over the next three years include: connecting 36 women annually to a skilled trade job; increasing the program’s social media presence by 25%; creating new opportunities for participants by fostering relationships among trades groups and employers; and finding more tradeswomen who can serve as counsellors to those who may face barriers entering male-dominated trades.

New Boots was launched in April 2018 following a 30-month pilot project. The cost of extending the program to March 31, 2023, is just under $500,000, says the province.