PLANT TOUR IN NORTHERN ONTARIO ENCOURAGES YOUNG WOMEN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MANUFACTURING CAREERS

Sault Ste. Marie, March 28, 2023 – Algoma Steel and Tenaris plants in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario opened their doors today to one hundred young female students as part of a Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) initiative to encourage more women to choose a career in the manufacturing sector.

Despite the many career paths available in manufacturing, the industry continues to face a gender gap, with women making up only 29 per cent of the manufacturing workforce. Open door tours help inspire young women and show them that they have a place in the sector.

The tours of Algoma Steel’s and Tenaris’ facilities gave students the opportunity to get to see the action behind the scenes of advanced manufacturing and learn more about the process of manufacturing right here in Ontario. Students also heard directly from manufacturing employees about their diverse experiences.

The objective of the tour was to make sure female students are empowered to pursue a career in manufacturing and STEM fields. Engaging youth is a critical component of CME’s Women in Manufacturing Initiative, that aims to increase female representation in manufacturing by 100,000 by 2030.

“Manufacturing is a diverse, exciting and rewarding career path, but we know that young women are not always aware of the opportunities available to them,” said Dennis Darby, President and CEO of CME. “Open door tours are a great way to showcase the industry and inspire the next generation of manufacturing leaders.”

“This is a great initiative to bring young professionals to our facility to witness manufacturing in action, see the equipment, processes and technologies used and see how our talented team brings this together at Tenaris,” said Angela Cruickshank, Human Resources Senior Director at Tenaris. “As the students saw today, we have a talented team of women at Tenaris across varied roles and there’s room for more. We encourage students to consider Tenaris in their future.”

“We welcome these young women to Algoma and were excited to give them a glimpse into the exciting careers that await them in steel. Whether in a skilled trade, finance, engineering, or quality control, there are no limits, only opportunities,” said Danielle Baker, Chief Human Resource Officer of Algoma Steel Inc.

“This was a unique opportunity for our young female students to gain a better understanding of manufacturing. As a Board, we seek opportunities which can spark diverse interests in students and introduce them to potential pathways to employment after graduation,” said Jennifer Sarlo, Algoma District School Board Chair. “Partners like Tenaris and Algoma Steel are critical in providing these opportunities, as they are able to introduce our students (and their families) to manufacturing and the skilled trades through innovative programs and outreach.”

CME encourages all manufacturers across Canada to consider participating in open door tours and to reach out to CME to learn more about this important initiative.