b'SKILLED TRADES ROUNDTABLEWOMENIN TRADESThe Experts Weigh In By Sarah B. HoodO b s t a c l e t sa n dWin Trades was the topic of a breakout session at CCABs omen Indigenous Women in Leadership (IWIL) Business Forum, which was o p p o r u n i t i e sheld as both an in-person and virtual event in Calgary last June. The session asked a very pointed question: As infrastructure spendinga b o u n d f o ris expected to boom, what is needed to diversify the industry and I n d i g e n o u sincrease female representation in the trades?The remarkable group of female panelists, along with moderator Tim Laronde, discussed w o m e n e n t e r i n gthe highs and lows, the barriers and opportunities, and the many wayssome as simple as providing work gloves in smaller sizesthat organizations can support women and t h e s k i l l e dinspire younger generations to pursue a career in the skilled trades.t r a d e s As Laronde pointed out, The Canadian Construction Association right now says that of the 1.5 million people in the construction industry, two stats stand out: one is that 13 per cent are women, and the other thing thats interesting is that 46 per cent of the industry is going to retire in the next 10 years. So not only is that an opportunity for Indigenous youth, but its also an opportunity for women.86A CCAB PUBLICATION2022'