Fourteen girls got their hands dirty at Okanagan College91Ƶs go-kart camp for girls.
The Girls Can Go-Kart Too! is a camp offering girls in grades 4 through 6 the opportunity to try their hand at designing and constructing their own go-kart.
And on Friday they went head-to-head in a friendly race around the Kelowna campus.
91ƵThis camp is a great opportunity for young women to learn and directly apply useful skills in a fun environment,91Ƶ Industry Training Authority CEO Shelley Gray said.
The camp was started in 2018 in partnership with the college and the ITA.
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91ƵIt91Ƶs a hugely enjoyable program for the young women, who we hope will become the skilled trades people of the future.91Ƶ
Led by Okanagan College Red Seal endorsed trades instructors, the campers tried their hand working on small engines, changing oil, patching and replacing tires, testing and fixing breaks and installing ignition kill switches.
91ƵLast year, I saw the girls racing the go-karts in the parking lot and it looked like a lot of fun, so I decided to try it this year,91Ƶ Grade 6 student Skyla Golbey said.
91ƵI haven91Ƶt built one before, but my uncle builds cars so I91Ƶve been around them a lot,91Ƶ she said. 91ƵWe91Ƶve been learning about all the tools and how an engine works.91Ƶ
Plus, she said, having the knowledge to change a tire will be useful when she gets her driver91Ƶs licence.
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Not only is this camp a great way for girls to dip their toes in basic mechanics, but it91Ƶs a great way to form connections that may lead to careers in the trades91Ƶsomething British Columbia is in need of.
The BC Construction Association91Ƶs Building Code set a target of 10 per cent of skilled trades jobs be held by women in 2028. To meet that goal, another 9,500 women would have to be onboarded.
91ƵThis camp is a great opportunity for young girls to experience what the skilled trades are all about,91Ƶ Okanagan College president Jim Hamilton said. 91ƵIt91Ƶs great to see how excited they are to get into the shop. We hope their experience at the college sparks an interest that leads them to think about the many career possibilities open to them.91Ƶ
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