Sisters in the Brotherhood launched to support tradeswomen

Key Takeaways:

• The Sisters in the Brotherhood Capacity Building Project (SIBCAP) aims to recruit more women into the construction industry while providing essential supports, including mentorship, leadership training, and advocacy to address systemic barriers.
• With high attrition rates among women in trades, particularly in carpentry (where 70.8% leave within two years), SIBCAP is focused on retention through initiatives like a Resource Network, workplace harassment reporting systems, and increased engagement within SIB committees.
• The project is funded in part by Women and Gender Equality Canada ($563,319) and the Carpenters’ Regional Council, with a total budget of $692,786 over 20 months, highlighting significant investment in improving gender diversity in the skilled trades.

The Whole Story:

Creating pathways to employment for women entering the construction industry and establishing foundational supports to ensure their success is the focus of a new program from Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB), an organization dedicated to supporting women in the skilled trades.

The Sisters in the Brotherhood Capacity Building Project (SIBCAP) will grow SIB’s network of tradeswomen through a range of recruitment and community activities. This same expanded network will work collaboratively to advocate on behalf of cisgendered and trans women in the construction industry. This advocacy will include identifying current barriers and creating actions and policies to help reduce and remove them.

An initiative of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), Sisters in the Brotherhood supports UBC tradeswomen by providing them with assistance in obtaining craft training and leadership skills; by being advocates on women’s issues; and by providing mentorship opportunities to new members and even potential members.

The potential to recruit more women in construction is strong. While women comprise roughly 50% of the general population, they only represent 5% of the on-site construction labour force nationally (BuildForce Canada, 2023). Beyond recruitment, retention is an ongoing challenge with many women leaving the trades after only a couple years. Carpentry has the highest attrition rate, with 70.8% of women leaving the trade within their first two years of apprenticeship (Statistics Canada, 2022).

“It’s no secret in the construction industry that women continue to be our greatest untapped resource,” says Jason Rowe, Vice-President of the UBC Canadian District. “In addition to better promoting career training and creating more job opportunities for women in construction, we must also focus on investing in supports to ensure their continued success within the industry. This is what helped first inspire the Sisters in the Brotherhood initiative and we are thrilled to expand its suite of services with SIBCAP.”

As part of the project, Sisters in the Brotherhood will develop 12 new SIB committees across Canada to grow the network and increase the voice of tradeswomen within the UBC. The project will also increase membership within SIB’s 31 current committees to further grow their capacity and reach. This will be complemented by an event hosting strategy, which will help SIB maximize engagement opportunities.

Further, SIB will develop a Resource Network, which will assist tradeswomen in finding online resources and organizations that specialize in providing supports and services to help eliminate barriers for women in the skilled construction trades. 

By creating a recording and reporting system for women currently working in the trades, SIBCAP will ensure they have a safe space to report incidents of harassment in the workplace without repercussion or fear of reprisal.

“While recruiting more women into construction will always be an industry priority, systemic challenges mean this effort must be complemented by retention strategies and initiatives like SIBCAP,” says Rachelle Premack, Sisters in the Brotherhood Liaison. “By increasing representation in our SIB committees and establishing a nationalized framework, our advocacy will help ensure more women find and stick with fulfilling careers working on the tools.”

SIBCAP is funded in part by the Government of Canada with an investment of $563,319 through Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Women’s Program. Along with an in-kind contribution from the Carpenters’ Regional Council, the total budget is $692,786 over the 20-month duration of the project.

The UBC Canadian District represents the nearly 75,000 members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) in Canada. UBC members perform work in a wide range of trades in the construction industry, and include carpenters, millwrights, piledrivers, floor coverers, interior systems mechanics, and many more, in addition to workers in the industrial and healthcare sectors. The UBC plays a key role in training and advancing the interests of its members throughout the country, from bustling urban centers to remote northern communities.

This project has been funded in part by Women and Gender Equality Canada.