Women’s Economic Security Program (WESP)

Overview

The Women’s Economic Security Program (WESP) offers pre-apprenticeship, entrepreneurship and employment skills training for women with low incomes.

WESP can help eligible participants get the skills, knowledge and experience they need to:

• find a job
• start their own business
• improve their financial security

Training programs are available in 4 streams:

• skilled trades
• entrepreneurship
• information technology
• general employment training

Extra support

All training programs offer extra support to help participants focus on their training. Support may include:

• food throughout the training day
• help accessing a community food bank
• transportation to and from the training program
• support in finding child care
• referral to mental health and well-being supports, counselling, housing and legal support

Some training programs also offer specialized support for women who have experienced gender-based violence or are at risk of it.

Learn about gender-based violence and how to get help.

Women in the skilled trades

• Canadore College — General Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship
• Centre for Skills Development and Training — Enhanced General Carpentry
• Collège Boréal — Technicienne d'équipement lourd — programme de préapprentissage pour femmes
• Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning — Women in Skilled Trades: Carpentry and Residential Installations Pre-Apprenticeship
• CWB Welding Foundation — Women of Steel: Pre-employment Program
• George Brown College — Women Transitioning to Trades and Employment: Hairstyling Pre-Apprenticeship
• Humber College — Plumbing Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Women
• Six Nations Polytechnic — We Are Welders Women’s Program
• Women’s Enterprise Skills Training (WEST) of Windsor — Industrial Mechanic Millwright CNC Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Women
• WoodGreen Community Services — CNC/Precision Machining Skills Training Program

Entrepreneurship for women's self-employment

• 10 Carden Shared Space — Opening Opportunities
• Connecture Canada — Hairstyling Entrepreneurship Training
• Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto — Women’s Empowerment Through Business (WEB) Entrepreneurship Training Program
• Kingston Employment Youth Services — Creating Enterprise Opportunities
• OASIS centre des femmes — Entrepreneurship Launchpad
• PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise — ParoBiz — Women’s Business Development and Microloan Program
• Scadding Court Community Centre — WE-Hub

Women in information technology

• The Redwood Shelter — Women in Technology: IT Help Desk Technician
• YWCA of Greater Toronto — Mobile Application Development

General employment training for women

• Across Languages Interpretation and Translation Services — Empowering Interpreters for Success
• George Brown College — Fashion Exchange (FX) Women in Fashion TECH
• La Cité Collégiale — Programme de préparation à l’emploi pour femmes francophones à faible revenu
• Minwaashin Lodge — Courage to Soar Administrative Assistant Program
• Seven Generations Education Institute — Azemiinagoziwin Telecommunications Program
• YWCA Greater Toronto — Moving On To Success (MOTS)