WEST of Windsor expands to second location

Women’s Enterprise Skills Training has opened a second location and is now hoping to lower Windsor’s unemployment rate. CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru shares how.

As a former coffee shop worker with a psychology degree, Tajana Ristic didn’t expect to find herself in the skilled trades.

Her journey in the field began in 2019 when a co-worker told her about a CNC machinery program, offered by Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) of Windsor.

At the time, she was 29 and the program’s age cutoff was 30.

“It led to so many good opportunities. It got me my first job in CNC. It was more money than I’d ever made in my life,” Ristic said with a laugh.

Now, five years later, she works for the same organization that helped launch her career, supporting other women who, like her, might not have considered skilled trades as a path.

However, women continue to remain a minority in the industry. According to WEST, they make up just five per cent of Canada’s skilled trades workforce.

Hoping to change that, the organization has expanded. Formerly operating from a single downtown Windsor location, WEST held a grand opening Thursday for its second centre near Devonshire Mall.

Established in 1987, WEST helps women in Windsor-Essex access stable employment through training and apprenticeship programs. It focuses on breaking down barriers, particularly for visible minorities.

Its pre-apprenticeship courses in fields such as Industrial Mechanic Millwright and Electrical trades offer hands-on experience and industry connections, helping women gain the confidence and qualifications needed to enter the workforce.

“Sometimes, clients are a little bit resistant to coming into the trades because it’s not a traditional female job,” said Ristic, who now works as an intake worker for WEST.

“They’re worried that they’re not strong enough. They’re worried about not having the skills. But we give these skills to these women. We teach them how to operate a machine. We teach them how to cut metal. The best part is that you don’t have to be strong to go into the trades. That’s what cranes are for.”

For Ristic, exposure to skilled trades came early. She grew up in a household without brothers, and with no sons to pass his skills onto, her father taught her and her sister instead.

But, she said, not all young girls have that opportunity.

“Traditionally, the father takes the son to help fix the car, fix the garage, do something hands-on,” she said.

“I think that’s what’s missing [for girls] — early introduction into the trades.”

The expansion of WEST comes at a time when Windsor faces an unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent.

WEST program manager Stephanie Allen said the organization has helped nearly 400 women enter the skilled trades over the past 11 years.

“They look back and realize, ‘six months ago, I didn’t know how to read a blueprint.’ Now, they’re wiring a light switch, learning PLC, or welding,” Allen said.

“My greatest satisfaction is seeing that amazement — the moment they realize they can do this. And now, they’re working as apprentices, doing what they love, but never knew how to get into.”

That confidence, officials said, isn’t always easy to build.

Lindiwe Sithole knows that firsthand. She walked into WEST’s downtown location in 2009 as a newcomer to Canada.

With a background in teaching, she now works as an employment counsellor for the organization.

“Sometimes, people don’t see their potential,” Sithole said.

“When you meet someone at their lowest, it’s hard for them to see their own abilities. But through conversations and support, we help build their confidence, recognize their skills, and get them back into the workforce.”

As WEST expands, Ristic hopes the new location will make employment resources and skilled trades training more accessible, particularly for those who found the downtown site too far.

“I hope we get more foot traffic, for sure,” she said.

“We’re on a bus route, we have plenty of parking, and we have a great resource room. I’d love to see more chairs filled in the resource room, people printing resumes, and more use of this building overall.”