Speaker: Sherry Donovan is Chief Executive Officer at NS Home Builders' Association and a volunteer Board Member of Techsploration.
Techsploration, a not-for-profit organization, is a joint initiative of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.
The goal of Techsploration is to increase the number of women working in science, trades, technical and technology-related occupations by assisting young women from diverse backgrounds to explore a wide range of career options in these fields.
Techsploration provides young women from grades nine through twelve with opportunities to explore science, trades, and technology occupations, while creating awareness about the critical role of work in their lives. It also helps them understand the significance of high school math and science for their future careers.
With only 12% of the trades workforce currently being female, there is a need to provide encouragement to young women to enter the field. Techsploration does this by raising awareness, providing scholarships and participating in 50 program events per year. They are currently in 40 schools and directly interact with 3500 students in NS per year.
The Techsploration website provides a great suite of videos that encourage young women to explore the range of options.
A recent survey of alumni shows that the program is being very effective. 98% of alumni feel that the program has helped them achieve their goals. 50% of alumni have pursued post secondary education.
Sherry concluded by comparing the goals of Techsploration and the Home Builders Association and the areas of focus of Rotary. There was a fair degree of overlap. She encouraged those with skills to share by being a mentor in the program.
Lech thanked Sherry for her presentation. NSCC is a partner in the program and he confirmed the effectiveness of the initiative.
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