Skills Ontario’s Jennifer Green wins Premier’s Award

TORONTO — Skills Ontario’s Jennifer Green was recently honoured with a Premier’s Award for her advocacy work during the Colleges Ontario Higher Education Summit in Toronto.

There were 126 nominees in total across seven categories. Green took home the award in the apprenticeship category.

As the only woman in her Industrial Mechanic Millwright program at Conestoga College, Green has “cleared the path for thousands of women in the skilled trades through advocacy, mentorship and is a recognized opinion leader on skilled trades and women in trades, by sharing her opinions and experiences at events and in articles, radio programs and podcasts,” reads a release from Skills Ontario.

She was named one of WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women and a Universal Women’s Network Woman of Inspiration. She is a licensed Industrial Mechanic Millwright, with a Certificate of Qualifications and Certificate of Apprenticeship and a graduate of Conestoga College.

In her current role as director of competitions at Skills Ontario, Green leads Canada’s largest skilled trades competition with 2,400 competitors across 74 contests.

In 2020, she was appointed chair of a team of apprenticeship youth advisers who were invited to work with Ontario’s minister of labour, training and skills development on a provincial strategy to attract youth to the skilled trades.

As part of her acceptance speech, she made comments about positive change for skilled trades.

“Thank you to Colleges Ontario and the Premiers Award, for creating the apprenticeship category in 2017. Recognizing that these careers are just as important, by showcasing them, it will continue to break down the stigmas and stereotypes within our province and country,” she said. “Thank you to Conestoga College, as part of the backbone that assisted in solidifying my ability to start my journey and continue with me through out my career.

“Recognition is so much bigger than ourselves. It’s an opportunity to provide positive influence and a chance for others to learn, grow and be motivated. Thank you to all the people who have supported me on my path; my husband and family, all of my mentors, Skills Ontario, and many, many others. This is not just my achievement – it’s all of theirs, and the nominees, too for skilled trades in Ontario.”