B1: Women First: Building Skills for Success - Heather Paterson 
Room: Lombard

WOMEN FIRST is a combination of pre-employment and skills training as well as wrap-around supports across diverse sites and with diverse groups of women. The goal of this programming is to improve access to, engagement with, and satisfaction with pre-employment training and wrap-around supports offered by delivery partners. 
These programs emphasize the importance of adaptability and collaboration for well-being and job retention, and curriculum has been specifically developed to support this skill development.
We will showcase some material and activities and included examples of the specific trade inclusive programs and participant testimonials/ success stories.

B2: Exoskeletons for Women in Trades - Amin Yazdani & Dr. Marcus Yung
Room: Wellington Ballroom

Exoskeletons are perceived as promising solutions to augment worker strength, reduce injury risk, and ultimately improve job accessibility and retention of women. Exoskeletons may also support the recruitment of women skilled trades workers to enter a work environment where injurious work-related risks are reduced. However, the potential impact of exoskeletons on the women skilled trades workforce remains largely unknown. In this session, we will discuss the impact of exoskeleton usage among the skilled trades workforce and discuss future opportunities for research.