CANS Construction Connection

CANS Construction Connection is a flexible program connecting youth and educators with the construction industry, beyond the Building Futures for Youth summer employment program. The program provides a liaison for both youth and educators as well as industry and looks to help make connections between the two. The program provides co-op connections, field trips, special projects, and anything that falls outside of the BFY program, helping to engage youth with construction trade careers.

A few examples of past projects from CANS Construction Connection include:

• Engaging a broader audience of students, such as those in junior high and middle school.
  Several grade nine classes have engaged in our construction career project, which challenges students to research construction careers and make verbal and visual presentations to industry guest judges. Paired with a classroom presentation and a site visit field trip, the module makes for a full exploration of the construction industry to students making decisions about their high school pathways and future career options.
• Engaging under-represented students, such as through our Empowering young women workshops.
  Last year, we partnered with Hilti and NSCC to provide events that brought young women together with professional tradeswomen in a safe environment where they could challenge themselves. They were tasked with designing and building a woodworking project, as well as completing a small mechanical project and various activities such as a hammering competition. The mentors shared their guidance and supervision in the workshop, as well as their personal stories and advice over lunch. The young women gained confidence using tools and developing new skills and were encouraged to consider careers that have been considered “non-traditional” for women.
• Career Fairs and Keynote Speaker opportunities
  that engaged hundreds of youth to consider the construction industry.
• Employability Workshops
  to help entry level workers identify transferable skills and better prepare them for opportunities in the construction industry rather than opting for more traditional “first job” choices such as retail or food service.
• Collaborating with existing organizations, school support staff, and many more
  to strategically expand our reach and engage with more youth to consider construction industry careers.