Some Windsor and Essex County high school girls are making good use of their summer to think outside of the box — literally.
10 students, including one in Grade 6, are taking part in a "Build a Dream" 3D workshop at the University of Windsor campus downtown at the Centre for Creative Arts.
They are working in a printing lab and learning the ABC's of creating and editing digital objects.
They will work with technology to see how an idea is developed and to prepare an object for 3D printing.
Build a Dream Provincial Outreach and Community Coordinator Elisa Quaggiotto says this provides them a safe atmosphere for trying something new.
"Just having them spend time together as a team and to see each other and see themselves in these career pathways and supporting each other is very important for moving the needle forward," she says.
Quaggiotto says the students are able to gain new skills using math and science technology to create something new and tangible.
Build a Dream Provincial Outreach and Community Coordinator Elisa Quaggiotto says this puts their skills from school to good use.
"We find that the biggest barriers is that women just don't feel like, they don't want to fail at anything so giving them a space to fail and to be able to pick themselves back up to continue on is very important."
The workshop takes place until Friday, July 26th
Quaggiotto says the goal is to plant the seed for the students to think of other untraditional career paths and opens the door for more opportunities.
Skills Canada estimates that one million skilled trades workers will be needed by 2020 and women can help to address the shortage.