NEWS RELEASE
WEST END HOME BUILDERS' ASSOCIATION
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For the third consecutive year, the West End Home Builders’ Association (WE HBA) partnered with Mohawk College and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) to host the WE BUILD Showcase.
Held at Mohawk College’s Stoney Creek Campus for Skilled Trades, the event welcomed 100 female-identifying students in Grades 7 and 8, offering hands-on introductions to career paths in residential construction, skilled trades, and STEM fields.
The full-day event included interactive workshops, tours of Mohawk’s Marshall School of Skilled Trades & Apprenticeship Campus, and inspiring sessions aimed at engaging the next generation of industry leaders.
Throughout the day, students explored various trades and specialties, participated in friendly competitions, and took part in hands-on activities led by WE HBA members and community partners.
Booths at the event showcased a range of trades and industries, including contributions from Cachet Homes, Dynamic Heating & Cooling, Guest Plumbing & HVAC, Heartwood Renovations, Milwaukee Tool, OYAP, Turkstra Lumber, WalterFedy, and YWCA Hamilton.
Students had the opportunity to engage directly with industry professionals, learning about career possibilities through interactive activities and competitions. The success of the event was due to the efforts of the WE HBA Women in Industry (WIN) Committee, along with the support of Mohawk College and OYAP.
The event featured inspiring talks from Alicia Sljivic, General Manager at Heartwood Renovations; Samara Young, Associate Dean for Building Systems and Sustainability at Mohawk College; Sandra Husidic, Chair of the WE HBA WIN Committee; and Katelyn Gillis, Co-Chair of the committee.
About the WE HBA Women in Industry (WIN) Committee: Founded in 2018, the WE HBA’s WIN Committee is Canada’s first women’s group within a Home Builders’ Association. Led by Chair Sandra Husidic and Co-Chair Katelyn Gillis, the committee is dedicated to supporting, educating, and empowering women in construction, development, trades, and STEM. Through networking events, educational sessions, and monthly meetings, WIN fosters connections and promotes gender diversity within these industries.
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