Dear allies,
We all know there is a labour shortage in the skilled trades. In this conversation, led by NextGenMen, we'll explore strategies to retain a highly skilled team and create a safer workplace. This is not your standard HR workshop. You won’t want to miss this chance to become a leader in gender inclusion in the workplace. Join us to give your business a competitive edge.
We’ll talk about:
How to improve your business performance
How to make your company a leader in safer workplaces
How to recruit and retain a highly skilled team
How workers’ mental health impacts the worksite
You will leave this conversation with tools to make you a leader in the skilled trades.
Please join us for a co-action discussion on these topics and more.
Event: Co-action discussion: Building change in the skilled trades sector
Date: October 16, 2025
Time: Doors: 8:30 a.m. Presentation: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Farrell Hall, 276 Windmill Rd, Dartmouth, NS B3A 1G8
A hot breakfast is included!
Local Partner: YWCA Halifax
Register today: /en-CA/ticketing/co-action-nova-scotia (link in bio)
4 days left!! Paid opportunity!
Are you a 2SLGBTQ+ tradesperson working in construction or manufacturing in Nova Scotia?
You are invited to participate in Queers In Carhartts, a research project about your experiences at work! Supported by the YWCA Halifax, this research is being led by trans community members. Your contributions are essential to illuminating and improving the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople across the province.
Participants have the opportunity to be compensated $60 for their time taking the survey, and 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople may choose to participate in more in-depth interviews. 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople are invited to take the survey at Survey #1. Construction and manufacturing managers and employers are also able to participate through a different survey , survey #2. Links to both can be found on our link tree. Surveys will close on September 14th, 2025.
For more information, go to
93% OF TRADESPEOPLE IDENTIFY AS HETEROSEXUAL MEN
COMPARITIVELY, JUST 0.3% IDENTIFIED AS HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN, 0.5% AS GAY MEN, 0.6% AS LESBIAN WOMEN AND 0.3% BISEXUAL WOMEN.
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Canada is home to approximately 1.3 million people who are Two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or who use other terms related to gender or sexual diversity (2SLGBTQ+) - about 4.4% of the population.
Nova Scotia has the highest percentage of young adults identifying as 2SLGBTQ+ 8N Canada (16.4%) - as trade recruitment grows a large number of potential workers identify as part of this group.
As we dive into the research surrounding representation in the growing field of skilled trades, we are left wondering why skilled trades in Canada are dominated by heterosexual men, with on 1% identifying as 2SLGBTQ+
Similarly, only 0.3% identified as heterosexual women.
WHY ARENT QUEER PEOPLE WORKING IN THE SKILLED TRADES?
MEDIAN INCOME IN THE TRADES IS $65,600 FOR MEN AND & $28,300 FOR WOMEN - RACIALIZED PEOPLE EARN $2200 TO $13,700 LESS ON AVERAGE
There are significant differences in pay between visible minorities and white workers in the skilled trades in Canada.
Non Visible minorities had a median income of $65,600 for men and $28,300 for women, surpassed only by the Filipino population who received median incomes of $67,000 for men and $33,300 for women. All other visible minorities received between $4,100 - $13,700 less for males and $2,200- $6,900 for woman than non-visible minorities. Approximately half the difference in pay for male visible minorities can be attributed to characteristics such as geography, trade, and mode of certification. On the other hand, these characteristics cannot explain the differences for women.
The potential pay differences for other minority groups has yet to be studied.
These differences are likely to be large contributing factors in recruitment and retention of minority workers in the skilled trades.
Are you a 2SLGBTQ+ tradesperson working in construction or manufacturing in Nova Scotia?
You are invited to participate in Queers In Carhartts, a research project about your experiences at work! Supported by the YWCA Halifax, this research is being led by trans community members. Your contributions are essential to illuminating and improving the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople across the province.
Participants have the opportunity to be compensated $60 for their time taking the survey, and 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople may choose to participate in more in-depth interviews. 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople are invited to take the survey at (Queers in Carhartts – Survey 1 – Wisdom2Action). Construction and manufacturing managers and employers are also able to participate through a different survey, which can be found at (Queers in Carhartts – Survey 2 – Wisdom2Action). Surveys will close on September 14th, 2025.
For more information, go to
91% OF RESPONDENTS TO THE YWCA'S 2024 STUDY ON THE SKILLED TRADES EXPERIENCED SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AT WORK.
The YWCA's study on gender-based violence found that women and gender diverse people reported a high prevelence of workplace sexual and gender-based harrassment in the skilled trades sector. Over 90% of survey respondents reported expierencing at least one form of sexual and gender-based harassment while working in the skilled trades in Nova Scotia, with the majority (84%) of sexual and gender-based harassment occuring while women and gender-diverse people were on a jobsite or at their workplace.
Over 95% of those engaging in harassing behaviour were men, and over 65% of respondents said that their main harasser was someone in a position of power in their workplace.
This is indicative of a workplace culture that does not prioritize the safety and comfort of women and gender diverse people. It is important to get a better understanding of these issues to increase diversity in the trades.
Are you a 2SLGBTQ+ tradesperson working in construction or manufacturing in Nova Scotia?
You are invited to participate in Queers In Carhartts, a research project about your experiences at work! Supported by the YWCA Halifax, this research is being led by trans community members. Your contributions are essential to illuminating and improving the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople across the province.
Participants have the opportunity to be compensated $60 for their time taking the survey, and 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople may choose to participate in more in-depth interviews. 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople are invited to take the survey at (Queers in Carhartts – Survey 1 – Wisdom2Action). Construction and manufacturing managers and employers are also able to participate through a different survey, which can be found at (Queers in Carhartts – Survey 2 – Wisdom2Action). Surveys will close on September 14th, 2025.
For more information, go to
THERE IS A PREDICTED SHORTFALL OF 61,400 TRADE WORKERS BY 2032.
16.4% of young adults identify as 2S/LGBTQ+ in Nova Scotia. Recruiting then can help bridge this gap.
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The YWCA's study of gender-based violence found that women and gender diverse people reported a high prevalence of workplace sexual and gender-based harassment in the skilled trades sector. Over 90% of survey respondents reported experiencing at least one form of sexual and gender-based harassment while working in the skilled trades in Nova Scotia, with the majority (84%) of sexual and gender-based harassment occurring while women and gender diverse people were on a jobsite or at their workplace.
Over 95% of those engaging in harassing behaviours were men, and over 65% of respondents said that their main harasser was someone in a position of power in their workplace.
This is indicative of a workplace culture that does not prioritize the safety and comfort of women and gender diverse people. It is important to get a better understanding of these issues to increase diversity in the trades.
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Are you a 2SLGBTQ+ tradesperson working in construction or manufacturing in Nova Scotia?
You are invited to participate in Queers In Carhartts, a research project about your experiences at work! Supported by the YWCA Halifax, this research is being led by trans community members. Your contributions are essential to illuminating and improving the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople across the province.
Participants have the opportunity to be compensated $60 for their time taking the survey, and 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople may choose to participate in more in-depth interviews. 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople are invited to take the survey at /queersincarhartts/ . Construction and manufacturing managers and employers are also able to participate through a different survey, which can be found at /queersincarhartts2/.
For more information, go to
Community Research Ethics Board Approval # 420
#novascotia #ywca #queersincarhartts #skilledtrades #canada #research
Shift Change is excited to announce our latest ethics approved research project, Queers in Carhartts!
In this research, we focus on the lived experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ tradespeople in Indigenous territory now known as Nova Scotia, Canada. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the perceived vs. real workplace culture, and to identify areas of improvement to increase queer people's participation in the skilled trades.
Follow us to stay up to date on this project and more. Opportunities to participate will be coming soon!
From the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency:
Let’s Connect: Mentorship for Women Apprentices is designed to support the retention and progression to certification of women apprentices in the 39 Red Seal Construction or Manufacturing trades by pairing them with an experienced tradesperson.
We are looking for diverse mentors who are excited to participate, grow, and provide feedback to us about their experiences in the program. We’re encouraging mentors from underrepresented communities to participate to help ensure our apprentices have the opportunity to be matched with mentors who share similar lived experiences if they indicate they would like to be—because feeling seen, supported, and represented makes all the difference.
The program is being administered by EnPoint on behalf of NSAA.
Join Women Unlimited for an information session for IT Campus at NSCC on Wednesday, August 20th at 11am or 7pm. Course is available online for the NSCC IT Campus program.
