The CWB Welding Foundation summer camp offers unique experience for girls
July 10, 2018 –The Saskatchewan Polytechnic Women in Trades and Technology (WITT) program has partnered with the CWB Welding Foundation to host Mind Over Metal welding summer camps for girls in grades 9-12. The week-long camp is being hosted at Sask Polytech Prince Albert and Moose Jaw campuses with a third camp, sponsored by Enbridge, being run at the Regina campus. The CWB Welding Foundation hosted its first welding camp in Edmonton in the summer of 2014, and to date has completed nearly 170 camps across Canada.
CWB Welding Foundation Mind Over Metal camps encourage youth to explore the welding skilled trade through hands-on experiences. The camps bring light to potential career opportunities available in the welding industry and aim to increase the number of individuals in Canada who are entering welding skilled trades training, and work to address the need for skilled welding professionals. The Canadian welding industry provides many great and diverse career opportunities, including welder, welding inspector, in welding research and engineering.
The camps are designed to dispel myths around females pursing trades careers.
“These camps are specifically designed to provide youth with a hands-on introduction to welding and inspire them to pursue a career in welding. Students build confidence and have fun while being supervised by professionals in a safe environment,” said Susan Crowley, executive director, CWB Welding Foundation. “Through experiential learning opportunities like the Mind Over Metal welding camps, their newly sparked interest in welding may lead to further education and employment.”
“The CWB’s Mind Over Metal camp allows girls to build self-awareness and confidence while working with active female tradeswomen,” says Brittany Grimsdale, acting provincial facilitator and coordinator for WITT at Sask Polytech. “Participants learn that the welding industry has a variety of career pathways that can take them virtually anywhere in the world. Girls attending the camp will use their welding skills to create their own projects, such as cow bells or metal roses.”
The Mind Over Metal camps rely on support from industry associations and corporate partners to continue. Sask Polytech has seen great success this year with camp sponsorship. Industry and community support for these camps include Enbridge as the the major camp sponsor for Sask Polytech Regina camp as well as another camp being held at a secondary school in Balgonie. Other sponsorships are listed below.
Media are invited to attend the Mind Over Metal camps:
| Event: | Regina Campus - Mind Over Metal camp |
| Date: | Thursday, July 11, 2019 |
| Time: | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. |
| Location: | Welding Shop 4500 Wascana Parkway, Sask Polytech Regina campus Ask for: Michelle Lanoie, Regina/Moose Jaw coordinator |
| Sponsors: | Enbridge, Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission and Dr. Amy Thomas |
| Event: | Prince Albert Campus - Mind Over Metal camp |
| Date: | Thursday, July 18, 2019 |
| Time: | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
| Location: | Welding Shop 1100 – 115th Street East, Sask Polytech Prince Albert campus Ask for: Tammie Pawlust, Prince Albert coordinator |
| Sponsors: | Christian Labour Association of Canada & Sasktel |
| Event: | Moose Jaw Campus - Mind Over Metal camp |
| Date: | Thursday, July 25,2019 |
| Time: | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
| Location: | Welding Shop Saskatchewan St & 6th Ave. NW, Sask Polytech Moose Jaw campus Ask for: Michelle Lanoie, Regina/Moose Jaw coordinator |
| Sponsors: | Dumur Industries |
Saskatchewan Polytechnic serves students through applied learning opportunities at campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, and through extensive distance education opportunities. Programs serve every economic and public service sector. As a polytechnic, the organization provides the depth of learning appropriate to employer and student needs, including certificate, diploma and degree programs, and apprenticeship training. Saskatchewan Polytechnic engages in applied research, drawing on faculty expertise to support innovation by employers, and providing students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.