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Women in the skilled trades in Ontario
The numbers, the free programs and your rights on site — figures from Statistics Canada, BuildForce Canada or the organization that runs the program, with ProScore’s own calculations labelled, and every rule linked to the law itself.
13.7%
of Ontario’s apprentices are women
16,629 of 121,659 registered in 2024 (Statistics Canada).
15.9%of Ontario’s new apprentices in 2024
FreeOntario pre-apprenticeship training
The short answer
In 2024, women were 13.7% of Ontario’s registered apprentices and 15.9% of new ones, but most of them train in fields such as early childhood education, hairstyling and food service. In electrical, plumbing and HVAC the share is much smaller: 5.2% of electrician apprentices, 3.0% of plumbers and 2.2% of refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. Ontario pre-apprenticeship training is free. The law requires PPE that fits, and a women-only washroom on most larger sites.
Facts checked against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page. Rules and fees change — confirm with the organization before you rely on them.
The numbers at a glance
Tap a card to turn it over and see exactly where the figure comes from.
Ontario apprentices who are women, 2024
13.7%
16,629 of 121,659 registered apprentices · Canada: 12.5%
Where this comes from
Women's share of everyone registered in an apprenticeship in Ontario in 2024 (vector v1411855323). Statistics Canada rounds counts at random to base 3, and counts records, not people.
New Ontario apprentices who are women, 2024
15.9%
3,594 of 22,596 new registrations · Canada: 12.9%
Where this comes from
Women's share of new apprenticeship registrations in Ontario in 2024 (vector v1411878723). Statistics Canada rounds counts at random to base 3, and counts records, not people.
Outside four fields — a ProScore calculation
6.2%
Women’s share of Ontario apprentices once early childhood education, community and social services, food service and hairstyling are taken out (6,777 of 109,701). ProScore calculation from Statistics Canada table 37-10-0219-01.
Where this comes from
ProScore calculation from Statistics Canada table 37-10-0219-01 (2024): the four groups removed from both the women and the all-apprentices counts. 59.2% of Ontario’s women apprentices (9,852 of 16,629) train in those four groups.
Canada: women in construction jobs, 2024
13.6%
The highest share since the Labour Force Survey began in 1976 — against 47.2% of all jobs.
Where this comes from
BuildForce Canada: “Women accounted for 13.6% of construction employment – still well below their 47.2% share of total employment across all industries.” The highest share since the Labour Force Survey began in 1976.
Canada: new construction-trade apprentices who are women, 2023
8%
Up from 6.3% the year before.
Where this comes from
BuildForce Canada: “Women accounted for 8% of new registrations in 2023, up from 6.3% the year prior” — construction-trade apprenticeships, Canada.
Ontario certifications that went to women, 2024
12.6%
1,071 of 8,499 apprenticeship certifications · Canada: 11.2%
Where this comes from
Women's share of apprenticeship certifications in Ontario in 2024 (vector v1411930059). Statistics Canada rounds counts at random to base 3, and counts records, not people.
- 15.0%2019
- 14.1%2020
- 12.8%2021
- 14.0%2022
- 14.5%2023
- 15.9%2024
Canada, new registrations: 6.8% in 1991 → 13.6% in 2018 → 12.9% in 2024. Statistics Canada notes that 2013–2014 administrative changes substantially affected Ontario’s data, so Ontario’s line starts later.
Statistics Canada, table 37-10-0219-01 (opens in a new tab)Women apprentices were nine times more likely than men to report harassment or discrimination during an apprenticeship.
Statistics Canada, The Daily, 11 December 2019, from the 2015 National Apprenticeship Survey. Your rights on site are below.
The Daily, 2019 (opens in a new tab)Women in the six trades
Women’s share of apprentices in the six trades ProScore profiles, Ontario against Canada, 2024. Tap a trade for how to get into it.
Ontario Canada· bars to 31%
- Electrician5.2%of Ontario’s apprentices are womenOntario5.2%Canada6.2%Ontario: 5.2% of all apprentices (1,236 of 23,808) · 6.8% of new. Canada: 6.2% · 7.5% new. StatCan group: Electricians.
- Plumber3.0%of Ontario’s apprentices are womenOntario3.0%Canada4.3%Ontario: 3.0% of all apprentices (360 of 11,868) · 2.9% of new. Canada: 4.3% · 5.0% new. StatCan group: Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters.
- HVAC Technician2.2%of Ontario’s apprentices are womenOntario2.2%Canada2.6%Ontario: 2.2% of all apprentices (111 of 4,986) · 3.4% of new. Canada: 2.6% · 3.3% new. StatCan group: Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.
- Carpenter7.6%of Ontario’s apprentices are womenOntario7.6%Canada6.6%Ontario: 7.6% of all apprentices (822 of 10,887) · 10.8% of new. Canada: 6.6% · 8.5% new. StatCan group: Carpenters.
- RooferNo figure publishedStatistics Canada publishes no roofer-only figure. Its nearest group does not list which trades it contains, so we show no number for roofers.
- Horticultural Technician28.1%of Ontario’s apprentices are womenOntario28.1%Canada30.1%Ontario: 28.1% of all apprentices (420 of 1,497) · 26.0% of new. Canada: 30.1% · 30.6% new. StatCan group: Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists.
Certificates: in 2024 women earned 57 of 2,079 electrician, 33 of 960 plumber, 9 of 537 refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic and 12 of 414 carpenter certificates in Ontario. Statistics Canada rounds these small counts at random to a multiple of 3, so treat them as approximate. Source: Statistics Canada, table 37-10-0220-01(opens in a new tab); shares from table 37-10-0219-01(opens in a new tab).
Free and low-cost programs
Pre-apprenticeships, mentoring and events for women and girls in Ontario. Filter, then tap a card for the details and the official link.
12 programs
Bursaries
$2,000CAWIC bursaries, awarded every year
The Canadian Association of Women in Construction awards $2,000 bursaries to women in construction-related programs, including trades programs. Its 2026 program is open. The page does not state a deadline, so check it before you apply.
The 2026 bursary at cawic.ca (opens in a new tab)Checked .
Federal grants and loans
Federal grant programs for apprentices change from year to year. Check Service Canada for what is open now before you count on any amount.
Grants for apprentices on canada.ca(opens in a new tab)Your rights on site
What Ontario law requires on a construction site and at work. Tap a row for the wording, the date it took effect and the law itself on e-Laws.
A women-only washroom on larger sites
Where five or more toilets are required, at least one is for women only.
“Where the minimum number of toilets required at a project … is five or more, at least one facility at the project shall be for the use of female workers only, where reasonable in the circumstances.”
The ministry’s guide says it expects this to be reasonable on most construction projects that need five or more toilets.
Our reading of the toilet table in s. 29.1(5): with flush toilets, five are needed once a project regularly employs 61 or more workers.
O. Reg. 213/91, s. 29.1(2.1)In force: 1 July 2023
Read O. Reg. 213/91 on e-Laws(opens in a new tab)The ministry’s guidance(opens in a new tab)
Separate, signed toilets that lock
Separate facilities for men and women, a lock on the inside, and a bin for menstrual products.
Separate toilet facilities for male and female workers, unless a facility is used by one worker at a time. A men-only or women-only facility must be signed.
Each toilet needs a self-closing door that locks from the inside, light, heat where possible, ventilation, and privacy and protection from weather and falling objects.
A disposal receptacle for menstrual products.
O. Reg. 213/91, s. 29.1(1), (2), (2.2) and (2.3)In force: 1 July 2023 (the receptacle wording since 1 January 2025)
Menstrual products on site
Tampons and pads, where 20 or more workers are regularly employed.
“Where twenty or more workers are regularly employed at a project, the constructor shall ensure that menstrual products are provided.” They must include both tampons and menstrual pads, and be kept clean and hygienic.
This does not apply to a project where the work is expected to last less than three months.
O. Reg. 213/91, s. 28.1In force: 1 January 2025
Clean washrooms, with records
The constructor keeps a record of servicing and cleaning.
The constructor keeps a record of the servicing of the facilities, including cleaning and sanitizing, with the date of every service for the past six months or the length of the project, whichever is shorter.
O. Reg. 213/91, s. 29(12)In force: 1 January 2026
PPE that fits you
Every employer must make sure protective equipment is a proper fit.
An employer must make sure that “any personal protective clothing and equipment that is provided, worn or used is a proper fit and is appropriate in the circumstances.”
This is in the Occupational Health and Safety Act itself, so it covers every workplace, not only construction sites.
The ministry’s guidance says the aim is PPE that fits the worker’s body type, as the manufacturer intended.
Occupational Health and Safety Act, s. 25(1)(b.1)In force: 19 December 2024
Read Occupational Health and Safety Act on e-Laws(opens in a new tab)The ministry’s guidance(opens in a new tab)
Harassment: a policy, a program and an investigation
Including harassment online or by phone.
Every employer must prepare a workplace harassment policy and review it at least once a year. Where more than five workers are regularly employed, it must be in writing and posted in the workplace or in an easy-to-reach electronic format (s. 32.0.1).
The employer’s written program must include a way to report to someone other than the employer or supervisor when that person is the alleged harasser (s. 32.0.6).
A complaint must be investigated in a way that is appropriate in the circumstances, and you must be told the results in writing (s. 32.0.7).
Harassment includes conduct “virtually through the use of information and communications technology” — since 28 October 2024 (s. 1(1)).
Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 1(1), 32.0.1, 32.0.6 and 32.0.7In force: The virtual-harassment wording since 28 October 2024
Read Occupational Health and Safety Act on e-Laws(opens in a new tab)
Having a baby during your apprenticeship
Your leave under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, and the two questions to ask next.
17weeks of pregnancy leaveUnpaid, if you started at least 13 weeks before the expected birth date.
61weeks of parental leaveAfter pregnancy leave. Up to 63 weeks for birth mothers who do not take pregnancy leave, and for all other new parents.
2weeks’ written noticeGive your employer at least this much before pregnancy leave starts.
Employment Insurance
You may qualify for EI maternity and parental benefits. Check Service Canada for who qualifies and for how long.
EI benefits on canada.ca(opens in a new tab) Your training agreement and hours
No official page says how a training agreement and logged hours are handled during leave. Ask Skilled Trades Ontario before you go.
Skilled Trades Ontario, current apprentices(opens in a new tab)57%
of tradeswomen with children in the survey had turned down work because of child care.
OBCTradeswomen, 2025 survey (opens in a new tab)Leave figures: Ontario’s guide to the Employment Standards Act(opens in a new tab), checked November 9, 2026.
Watch: tradeswomen in Ontario
Ontario tradeswomen on their own work, from OBCTradeswomen’s Explore series. Nothing loads from YouTube until you tap play.
Frequently asked questions
How many apprentices in Ontario are women?
In 2024 women were 13.7% of Ontario’s registered apprentices (16,629 of 121,659) and 15.9% of new apprentices, according to Statistics Canada table 37-10-0219-01. Most train in early childhood education, community and social services, food service and hairstyling; outside those four groups, women are 6.2% of Ontario’s apprentices (a ProScore calculation from the same table).
How many electricians are women?
Women were 5.2% of Ontario’s registered electrician apprentices in 2024 and 6.2% across Canada (Statistics Canada).
What percentage of construction workers are women in Canada?
13.6% in 2024, according to BuildForce Canada — the highest share since the Labour Force Survey began in 1976, but well below women’s 47.2% share of all employment.
Which trades have the most women?
Of the six trades on ProScore’s careers pages, horticultural technician has the highest share: women were 28.1% of Ontario’s landscape and horticulture apprentices in 2024. Carpentry is next, at 7.6%.
How can a woman get into a trade for free?
Ontario’s pre-apprenticeship training has no cost, and textbooks, safety equipment and tools are covered. Some programs are just for women: Conestoga College’s WIST pre-apprenticeship is free for qualified applicants, and Canadore College ran a free carpentry pre-apprenticeship for women in 2026 (the next intake is not announced). OBCTradeswomen runs free monthly information sessions.
Do Ontario construction sites have to have a women’s washroom?
Where five or more toilets are required at a project, at least one must be for female workers only, where reasonable in the circumstances (O. Reg. 213/91, s. 29.1(2.1), in force since 1 July 2023). Toilets for men and women must also be separate unless each is used by one worker at a time.
Does PPE have to fit women?
Yes. Since 19 December 2024 the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires every employer to make sure personal protective clothing and equipment is a proper fit and appropriate in the circumstances (s. 25(1)(b.1)). It applies to every workplace.
What if I’m harassed on a job site?
Your employer must have a harassment policy and a written program, including a way to report to someone other than your supervisor if your supervisor is the harasser. A complaint must be investigated, and you must be told the results in writing (Occupational Health and Safety Act, ss. 32.0.1 to 32.0.7). Harassment by text, email or online counts too.
Can I take maternity leave as an apprentice?
Under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, pregnant employees can take up to 17 weeks of unpaid pregnancy leave if they started at least 13 weeks before the due date, then up to 61 weeks of parental leave (63 for other parents), with 2 weeks’ written notice. Ask Skilled Trades Ontario how your training agreement and logged hours are handled during leave, and check Service Canada for Employment Insurance benefits.
Is there mentoring for women in the trades?
Yes. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum runs a free, virtual four-month mentor program; OBCTradeswomen matches mentors and mentees in Ontario; and Canada’s Building Trades Unions run Build Together for women in the unionized trades.
When is the Skills Ontario Young Women’s Conference?
On 3 and 4 May 2027 at the Toronto Congress Centre: Grades 6–8 on Monday 3 May, and the Francophone (Grades 6–12) and Secondary (Grades 9–12) conferences on Tuesday 4 May. Registration opens 12 January 2027.
Are there bursaries for women in the trades?
The Canadian Association of Women in Construction awards $2,000 bursaries each year to women in construction-related programs, including trades programs. Its 2026 program is open; the page does not state a deadline.
Facts checked
Every figure on this page comes from one of these pages, read on that date: Statistics Canada, BuildForce Canada, the Government of Ontario and e-Laws, and the organizations that run each program. Where a figure is ProScore’s own calculation from a Statistics Canada table, it is labelled as ours. Where nothing official is published, we say so instead of estimating. ProScore is not affiliated with these organizations.
The 24 official sources
- Statistics Canada, table 37-10-0219-01, Apprenticeship programs by age groups, major trade groups, sex and registration status (reference year 2024; Ontario vectors v1411855323, v1411878723, v1411761723, v1411785123; trade vectors v1411857573, v1411863423, v1411856223, v1411863873, v1411861173 and their Canada pairs)(opens in a new tab)
- Statistics Canada, table 37-10-0220-01, Apprenticeship certifications by age group, major trade group and sex (reference year 2024; vectors v1411930059, v1411906659, v1411932309, v1411938159, v1411930959, v1411938609)(opens in a new tab)
- Statistics Canada, The Daily, 11 December 2019 — Women in apprenticeship(opens in a new tab)
- Statistics Canada, The Daily, 9 December 2020 — Registered apprenticeship information system, 2019(opens in a new tab)
- BuildForce Canada — Reviewing Canada’s construction sector in 2024, Part 5: Building a strong workforce (4 September 2025)(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Pre-apprenticeship training(opens in a new tab)
- Conestoga College — Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) Carpentry and Residential Installations Pre-Apprenticeship(opens in a new tab)
- Canadore College — General Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship for Women, 2026 program flyer(opens in a new tab)
- Métis Nation of Ontario — Skilled Employment: Energy stream(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen (OBCTradeswomen)(opens in a new tab)
- OBCTradeswomen — 2025 survey of Ontario tradeswomen(opens in a new tab)
- Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) — National Mentor Development Program(opens in a new tab)
- Canada’s Building Trades Unions — Women in the trades (Build Together)(opens in a new tab)
- Skills Ontario — Young Women’s Conferences(opens in a new tab)
- Skills Ontario — Young Women’s Initiatives(opens in a new tab)
- Skills Ontario — International Day of the Girl(opens in a new tab)
- Build a Dream — Career Discovery Expos(opens in a new tab)
- Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) — Bursary program 2026(opens in a new tab)
- e-Laws — O. Reg. 213/91, Construction Projects(opens in a new tab)
- e-Laws — Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Personal protective equipment fit requirements(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Hygiene facility requirements for construction projects(opens in a new tab)
- Government of Ontario — Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: pregnancy and parental leave(opens in a new tab)
- Skilled Trades Ontario — Current apprentices(opens in a new tab)