Learning can take many forms. For high school students, that tends to be through instruction in a classroom or lab setting. But sometimes the best learning opportunities come outside of that template, as it has for six students from the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) over the last year.

It all started with the Manitoba Construction Sector Council’s (MCSC) Women in Trades Conference in November 2024. WSD turned the event into a launchpad for an experience that’s still shaping the futures of the students involved.

The spark

Paul Krowiak, WSD’s Director of Technical Vocational, Applied Technology and Human Ecology, was already planning to attend the conference when inspiration struck – why not bring students along?

“With this being a conference on women in the trades, it was a great opportunity to expose girls in our school division to opportunities in the trades and inspire them through women who are already working in the field,” said Krowiak.

He got connected with MCSC Executive Director Carol Paul, and secured six tickets. Two students each from Tec Voc, R.B. Russell, and St. John’s High School were chosen—Grade 9 to 11 students still exploring their options.

“In vocational schools, they’re at the stage where they get to try out different vocational areas and aren’t yet locked into their chosen trade,” said Kelly DeKlerck, Coordinator of Aerospace and Career Education at Tec Voc, who chose the two students attending from her school. “But regardless of if the students were in vocational programming, these are students who could act on inspiration from this initiative.”

St. John’s High School doesn’t offer vocational programming, but for student participant Nancy Okkuatsiak, the chance to attend the conference and participate in the initiative opened her eyes to what’s available right in her own school division.

“I just wanted to be open to more opportunities. I’m grateful that the division has schools with these kinds of classes,” said Okkuatsiak, speaking on Tec Voc and R.B. Russell, as well as the free post-graduation trades offerings the division has for WSD grads. “There are great opportunities for people who want to take different paths.”

That’s at the heart of what WSD seeks to provide to its students, particularly through initiatives like this.

“One of the messages that the division is really trying to deliver is having students find their path to purpose,” added Doug Taylor, Director of Student Presence and Engagement with WSD. “We want them to find what they’re interested in doing, and it’s important to give them opportunities like this to figure that out.”

The conference experience 

The Women in Trades conference was the centrepiece of the experience, and WSD wanted the girls to get the most out of the day. Before the event, the students toured North Forge’s fabrication lab—an innovation hub that sparked curiosity and helped them bond.

By the time they walked into the Women in Trades conference, they were ready to learn and be inspired.

“The people who were presenting were so passionate,” said student Evelyn Knapp, one of the participants from Tec Voc. “The energy in the room was so powerful and everyone there was so excited about the trades.”

“Everyone was passionate about telling their story of how they got into the trades,” added Joelle Goring, also from Tec Voc. “They shared how far involvement from women in the trades has come.”

The engagement and participation of the girls left all of the involved teachers impressed.

“They were so engaged in the conference, which was enlightening,” said Barbara Parkin, Guidance Counsellor and Career Education Coordinator at R.B. Russell. “They all went to the workshops and breakout sessions. The students went around to different booths, asked questions, and their leadership skills grew every step of the way.”

Passing it on

The conference was just the beginning for the participating students. The six girls and teachers met after the conference to debrief the experience, and decided to take what they learned and grow the impact by sharing it with other girls in the school division. They split into pairs, created presentations about women in trades, and brought those messages to schools across WSD. Those presentations created a learning experience in and of themselves.

“I was nervous at first, but as we started to go through the presentations, it started to flow,” said Zoey Williams-Bruyere, a student participant from R.B. Russell. “As we did more presentations, I was giving myself notes on how to improve – don’t stand still, be more alive while you’re talking, and things like that.”

For WSD, it was the kind of growth that only comes from true engagement and a willingness from the students to try new things.

“These students started out quiet, but it’s clear that the teachers knew something when they chose them, because they all blossomed and came out of their shells,” said Taylor. “It tells us that if you involve and authentically engage students, they buy into it.”

The ripple effect

Each student received a micro-certificate from the school division, serving as a lasting recognition of their time, effort, and the valuable skills they developed. And the impact of this initiative didn’t end with their presentations either—it has continued to resonate well beyond that.

The students from R.B. Russell helped lead an International Women’s Day panel event at their school, while the Tec Voc students became ambassadors in recruitment presentations for the school.

“Hearing from students as opposed to adults about this, you’re going to get more buy-in,” said Lindsay Young, Vice-Principal of St. John’s High School. “You’re going to listen to your peers because you talk with them all the time. When I was in school, I don’t think a trade once crossed my mind as a career option. It just wasn’t talked about at that time.”

WSD is working to ensure that’s not the case now by keeping the momentum of this initiative going. Their plans include mentorship opportunities through the girls who participate and expanding outreach to younger students, because inspiration shouldn’t wait until high school.

What started as six students attending a conference has grown into something bigger: a movement to break stereotypes, build confidence, and open doors. These young women didn’t just learn about trades—they learned about themselves. And in doing so, they’ve become trailblazers for the next generation.

Clearly, the best lessons aren’t always found in a classroom. They’re found when you step into something new and discover just how far you can go.