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Camosun receives $1.2M gift for women’s trades program in Greater Victoria

Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation donation is largest Camosun has ever received
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Sheet metal fabricator Amy Carr prepares a filter rack to be welded. (Black Press Media file photo)

More women will be able to pursue careers in the trades at Camosun College thanks to a $1.285-million donation from the Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation.

The money will go towards the college’s Empowering Women in the Trades program.

This is the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college outside of estate gifts and is a five-year commitment.

“There has never been a more incredible opportunity for women to enter the skilled trades,” said Selina Robinson, minister of post-secondary education and future skills. “With more than 85,000 job openings expected in the skilled trades over the next decade, programs like Empowering Women in Trades help support a more diverse workforce in high-demand fields such as carpentry and welding.”

The program helps women complete their Red Seal certification and with areas such as child care, living expenses, transportation, networking and mentoring opportunities.

“The Empowering Woman in the Trades program has changed my life in such an incredible way,” said Sarah Cooper, who completed the Women in Trades sampler in 2021 and will soon be returning to the college for her next level apprenticeship. “Words can’t express the gratitude I have. I don’t know where my family and I would be there today without the ongoing mentorship and financial support that I’ve been given throughout my time at Camosun.”

The foundation previously donated $1 million in 2017 to help start the program.

“We saw the tremendous impact the first gift had on the lives of women over the last five years and how it encouraged more women to enter trades so it made sense to do it again,” Gwynn Morgan said.

“It is important to ensure the Empowering Women in the Trades program can continue to raise the quality of life for tradespeople and their families, as well as ensure employers and industries have a workforce to draw upon.”

READ MORE: Students from Camosun College win $1,500 for new business pitch


 

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Brendan Mayer

About the Author: Brendan Mayer

I spent my upbringing in Saskatoon, and in 2021, I made the move to Vancouver Island.
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