Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1400629
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT • SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 7 EDUCATION GUIDE The highly informative, interactive experi- ence that's built in to all 12 booths is expressly designed to do two things, she adds. "First, we want to get students started early, getting them to think about a trade as a career. Second, we want to address skills and assess aptitudes. By catching students younger, we can convey the career scope and identify what trade they might have an aptitude for." It will also be an opportunity to debunk an- other myth: that trades are just for men. "Nationally, about 12 per cent of women participate in trades; the figure is lower than that in Manitoba," notes Palson. "Jobs are not specifically for guys. Women can excel in any trade, and we know that is especially true for trades that require a high attention to detail and working in tight spaces." Attending a session at Manitoba Building Trades Exhibition Hall could be life altering. "It's a place where students can hear cool stories and experience a profession firsthand," Palson says. "Our goal is to excite them about career potential and to break down stigmas. We want to give them a real feel of what the different professions are like." Once engaged in a profession, students can build a career that will enable them to make a great life for themselves and their family, adds Palson. "The reality is that trades offer a long-term career path that enables people to make a good, comfortable living in an interesting, challenging line of work that offers lots of va- riety. We're excited to get the doors open so we can get kids in to see all a career in the trades has to offer." For more information on Manitoba Building Trades and the new, cutting-edge Manitoba Building Trades Exhibition Hall, visit TryTheT- radesMB.ca or call 204-956-7425. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 SUPPLIED ABOVE AND BELOW: A student tries out a virtual crane simulator. It's a place where students can hear cool stories and experience a profession firsthand." — Tanya Palson, manager of communications and business development, Manitoba Building Trades