How Everyday Leadership Drives Performance and Retains Women in Manufacturing Skilled Trades
Canada faces a massive wave of baby boomer retirements by 2030. Simply hiring more women (24,000) into the skilled trades is not enough.
Many employed tradeswomen feel isolated and unsafe on the job, leading them to quit or switch companies quickly.
To retain tradeswomen on your shop floor, leaders must practice these five everyday skills:
1. Build a Psychologically Safe Work Environment
Many tradeswomen do not report harassment or bullying to human resources (HR) leaders for fear of backlash from male co-workers.
“You have to literally be grabbing me inappropriately for me to report something,” says Emily Tilford, a fourth-year millwright apprentice and head of the Brantford Women On Site (WOS) chapter.
Supervisors and lead hands must model respectful behaviour, reward male allyship, and ensure women feel safe communicating about issues on the shop floor.
Tilford recalls staying in a toxic workplace longer than she should have because of a male co-worker who stood up for her. He frequently called out inappropriate co-worker interruptions, bullying, or lack of respect on her behalf.
Prompt leadership responsiveness and visibility are also essential. When HR leaders like Marissa Trussler, a contact Emily Tilford credits with improving her workplace culture, consistently walk the floor and build rapport, they create the trust employees need to speak up before a conflict turns dangerous.
2. Boost Inclusion: Audit Proper PPE & Equipment
When a tradeswoman has to wear her bump cap backward just so her safety glasses sit level, or use duct tape to keep her sleeves from dragging into a gearbox, leadership teams are sending a message: you are an afterthought.
“Suppliers do offer fittings and alterations, but employers won’t pay for it because it’s extra,” says Tilford. Manufacturers can partner with specialized brands like The Dirty Seahorse to offer better solutions if they won’t pay for fittings.
Emily Tilford suggests leaders observe how women struggle with the PPE provided. “Make it a game where the office ladies try on the smallest PPE size you have in stock and do simple tasks. Can you bend over and pick up that pencil without ripping the pants? Can you open a bottle of water with those gloves on?” If not, leaders must invest in better PPE.
3. Provide Equal Access: Facilities & High-Value Work
For a tradeswoman covered in grease, using the washroom becomes a five-minute operation of scrubbing her hands to use feminine hygiene products, which are not always provided on-site.
Sanitary toilet facilities are legally required in Canada. Yet not all businesses offer separate facilities for women, a gap leaders should address immediately.
“It’s incredible how many times you have to raise a stink as a woman in the trades,” says Tilford. However, she adds that asking for basic necessities during a job interview can make women seem “difficult to work with.”
Tradeswomen are also disproportionately assigned “housekeeping” tasks such as sweeping or organizing tool cribs, while high-precision technical work is assigned to men. Leaders must ensure female apprentices have the opportunity to develop the high-value skills they need to stay and grow in their skilled trade.
4. Establish Peer Mentorship Loops
Isolation, whether working night shifts alone or as the only woman on a job site, is a significant reason why women leave the skilled trades.
Partnering with external networks, such as Women on Site (WOS) or EMC Canada’s HerJourney Network, provides opportunities for networking, peer mentorship, and community support. While some events are ticketed, local WOS chapters host a free monthly meeting for all women to help them navigate workplace challenges.
Tilford is part of a local WOS WhatsApp group where she received peer mental health support after feeling triggered on a job site. She also hopes to mentor other women at work.
“To be able to have a female apprentice would be incredible because I love my trade and want to share that passion and excitement,” says Tilford.
5. Grow the Leadership Pipeline
To build your next generation of management, create opportunities to upskill female talent into supervisory, lead hand, or safety committee roles.
Partnering with organizations like Build a Dream helps tradeswomen gain tangible skills in supportive workplace environments, improving retention and long-term career success.
Finally, stay open to suggestions from younger employees and involve everyone in planning operational processes and projects. Abandon the belief system: This is how it has always been done.
Everyday Leadership Requires Firm Boundaries
Retention lives in daily choices: draw firm boundaries around respectful workplace behaviour, ensure fair distribution of work, and foster technical confidence.
To evaluate your facility, get a fully funded, 40-minute HerJourney Workplace Assessment through the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) to identify key operational areas for growth.
Additionally, gain certification from EMC’s Inclusive Workplace Program.