Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA) 

Address: 89 McNamara Drive, Paradise, NL A1L 3W2 

Mandate:

OAWA is dedicated to ensuring that there are employment opportunities for female apprentices who have graduated from the various trades training programs. The Office works with female apprentices after completing their in-school training to connect them to employers, unions, government and training institutions with the ultimate goal of helping them achieve journeyperson status.

Target Population:

All female tradespersons or students currently enrolled in a trades training program, as well as partners including employers, unions, government and training institutions.

Highlights of Programs/Services Offered:

• Maintains a registry database of female tradesperson which identifies their trade, level of apprenticeship, employment status, and resumes. This database is continually updated as more women enter the trades, and helps connect prospective employers to qualified women tradespersons looking for apprenticeships. 
• The Wage Subsidy Program assists employers with the costs associated with hiring apprentices. 
• The Mentorship Program allows female tradespersons to mentor new women entering the trades, women interested in taking a trade, and high school girls who are taking skilled trade classes. 
• Workshops for journeypersons and apprentices preparing for Red Seal Exams, including initial assessment and ongoing tutoring
• Mentoring Women in the Trades workshop series interactive training opportunity is for Journeypersons and Supervisors of tradeswomen and this workshop helps support creating a positive environment to promote a healthy mentor/mentee relationship with women in Trads