It is also true that close to half the jobs being created today will require 4-5 years combined education and training beyond high school.

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Tapping the Community Expanding Career Options for Young Women Introduction This manual describes how to organize two projects designed to increase girls' interest in trades and technological occupations. Both of these projects identify the need for girls to be more aware of the variety of occupations open to them, and both use role modeling to address this need. Role Models The first is to bring women in trades, technical and scientific occupations into local classrooms. Through this activity, students broaden their ideas about career goals, and teachers have the opportunity to talk to students about equity issues relating to training and jobs. GETT Camps The second project is a Girls Exploring Trades and Technology (GETT) Camp. Girls learn skills in carpentry, auto mechanics, drafting and more to build go-karts...and race them! The five-day long sessions are held in the summer for girls in grades 6-8. This type of camp has been very successful in introducing girls to many skills and occupations in many parts of the country. (GETT Camps were first run in 1989 at Fanshawe College in London Ontario by Maggie Mcdonald, and were further developed at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology by Valerie Overend.) These projects may be run separately or together by WITT groups, (There are over 40 active WITT groups (women in trades, technology operations and blue collar work) across Canada, along with the umbrella WITT National Network, that all work to increase opportunities for women and girls.) school boards, colleges or other women's or educational organizations. They can be successful in urban areas serving students in one school district or in rural areas such as the West Kootenays where many districts across our region participate. Sponsorship of projects like these may begin with one group, but always includes the wider involvement of teachers, employers, parents, unions and government. The premise is that girls are an important and invaluable resource - and that the responsibility for girls' education is shared. The goals of the project are to: expand the career aspirations of young women, particularly into technical occupations and other fields where women are under-represented. operate the projects in such a way as to integrate project activities into the ongoing curriculum of the schools, college systems and the activities of the community.

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