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TECHSPLORATION Newfoundland and Labrador |
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OVERVIEW Techsploration is a program designed to provide young women with opportunities to explore trades, technical and technology-related occupations, while creating an awareness about the critical role of work in their lives. It also helps them understand the significance of high school math and science to their future careers. This program is intended to be inclusive of all girls, including those from various levels of academic achievement, from diverse cultural backgrounds, and girls with special needs. Techsploration is a typically availible to young women in grade nine. However, in some rural schools grade eight as well as grade nine young women are chosen because classes are so small. Grade nine is preferred because it is the year that students make subject choices for their high school courses. Each school has a team of six girls and a coordinating teacher working with a role model from industry. The girls are not hand-picked. Rather they are chosen after the submission of an essay explaining why they want to do the program and after an interview process. The goal is to have a variety in each team, academically and otherwise. Techsploring The Labour Markets For The Future Today, young girls will make up 52% of the available workforce in the next decade. Historically, women have been largely overlooked as a potential source of skilled workers in a wide variety of occupational areas. Trades, technical and technology-related programs in community colleges and universities continue to attract very few women. As the current baby boomer workforce nears retirement age, the pool of new entrants is not expected to meet the needs of Canada's growing economy. Skill shortages are already being experienced in trades and in emerging technology areas, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to remain competitive in a global marketplace. Attracting more women to train for work in all sectors of the economy has become a business imperative.
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