The charitable organization serves the following population:

YWCA Hamilton serves 10,000+ people through 60+ programs and services each year. Founded in1889, YWCA Hamilton is one of the region’s oldest social innovators and a leading social service organization meeting the needs of our community’s most vulnerable women, girls and families. YWCA Hamilton provides critical social services in the areas of women’s housing, childcare and youth services, health and wellness programming, services for people with developmental disabilities, employment and training programs, immigration and settlement services, advocacy, and work around addressing violence against women. Through our work, we impact more than 10,000 women, children, and families each year, with a focus on serving people from racialized communities, those dealing with the impacts of homelessness, poverty, and trauma, and those struggling with systemic barriers to employment and financial security. We are an innovative, multi-service organization with the proven experience and capacity to undertake both complex, large-scale projects and grassroots, community-led projects alike.

The donated funds would be used for:

Heather shared specifically about the Join Program, Uplift Program and Advancing Women in Skilled Trades program, among other opportunities provided at the Centre of Innovation.

 The Centre of Innovation is made up of 2100+ square feet of programming space dedicated to training and employment programs, including a Reskilling Program, which supports women in reskilling/upskilling in advanced manufacturing and specialized technology fields through educational partnerships and an innovative digital application that will connect hundreds of women with personalized learning; Pre-Apprenticeship Programs, which provide participants with training and job coaching to successfully enter the skilled trades; STEM programming, which will connect youth and underrepresented minorities to learning opportunities and mentorship in STEM fields; and other programs focused on supporting women’s entrepreneurship, education, leadership capacity and strategies for success in traditionally male-dominated workplaces.

The Centre of Innovation will benefit 3,500+ women and girls each year, with impact across Ontario through robust virtual programming and regional partnerships. It will result in more women and girls ready to take on careers in STEM, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades. With many qualified tradespeople currently in the field nearing retirement, the need for a new generation of skilled workers, including women and people from diverse backgrounds, is clear.

Your support will connect women and girls to training and employment opportunities in STEM, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades, as well as many other entrepreneurial opportunities and strategies for success in the labour market. Together, we can pave new pathways to prosperity for women, girls and families.