When a teenager picks up a soldering torch for the first time and successfully melts metal into a copper heart, something remarkable happens. Their eyes light up. Their posture changes. And in that moment, they realize: “I can do this.”

That transformation is happening across Manitoba this summer, thanks to the Manitoba Construction Sector Council’s (MCSC) summer camp programs. These aren’t typical camps with arts and crafts—they’re launching pads for futures that many young people never knew were within reach.

Christina Thiessen, a steamfitter who runs piping activities at MCSC’s camps, has witnessed this awakening firsthand. Her secret ingredient? Letting kids do things they’d never imagine themselves capable of.

Thiessen doesn’t position herself as a trailblazer—she simply shows up and does the work. But her presence carries profound significance. “There aren’t many female steamfitters in this province,” she acknowledges. “Just me being able to show them—if I can do it, you can do it. I’m not a big person. My colleagues are large men, but I’m showing that anyone can.”

She deliberately avoids making her gender a talking point. “I don’t draw attention to it. I just want to make it normal so they wouldn’t even think twice about their gender when considering a career.”

“They get to do everything from PEX piping to proper soldering to solvent cementing,” she explains. “Once they figure out how to do it—and anyone can learn—they’re so happy. They just want to make more things.”

Opening doors that were never even visible

For many youth—particularly newcomers, refugees, and Indigenous participants—the construction trades represent an invisible world of opportunity. These camps make that world tangible. Ramir Diaz, MCSC’s Education and Training Manager, describes a recent partnership with Freedom International School, which serves students who have spent time in refugee camps.

“We provide everything for them—safety glasses, gloves, materials—and they get to take their completed projects home,” he says.

The numbers tell a compelling story. MCSC runs multiple camps throughout the summer, reaching students from grade 7 through 12 across various school divisions. Their partnerships extend from Seven Oaks School Division to River East Transcona, and they’re constantly expanding. The camps have achieved a remarkable 100% engagement rate—every single participant stays focused and interested throughout the program.

The magic of these camps lies in making skill-building feel like pure fun. Students solder copper hearts, build sprinklers from PEX pipe, and this year, they’ll be constructing marshmallow launchers from PVC pipe. “We’re going to have them play with them,” Thiessen says excitedly. “I made one myself and I was like, ‘this is awesome.’”

The engagement is so intense that staff have to remind students to take breaks. “Nobody’s bored. Nobody’s wondering when it’s going to end,” Thiessen observes. “My goal is to have every single kid engaged. So far, it’s been 100% success.”

Camp participants often become helpers in later years, guiding new students through their first experiences with power tools. “They grow within the camp and become support staff,” Diaz explains. “Then at some point, they become the counselors for the next generation.”

Diaz is already looking ahead. MCSC is planning additional camps for next summer and is eager to partner with more schools and community organizations. “We’re open to any type of summer camp—welding, small engine repair, framing, electrical, plumbing, pipefitting,” he says. “We’re always looking to collaborate.”

At the end of the day, these camps offer something priceless: the chance for a young person to discover a passion, build confidence, and see a future they never knew existed—sometimes starting with nothing more than a marshmallow launcher and a spark of curiosity. MCSC has made this possible through partnerships with Winnipeg School Division, Seven Oaks School Division, Piping Institute Technical College Local 254, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2085, United Brotherhood of Carpentry Local 343, Kids Code Jeunesse, and New Media Manitoba, among others.

If you know a young person who might benefit from this experience—or if your school or community organization would like to partner with MCSC—reach out today. More camps are already being planned for next summer, and spaces fill quickly. Don’t let the next generation’s potential go untapped. The trades are waiting, and so are the mentors ready to guide them home.