How a National Technical Committee Member Is Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Skilled Trades
When Ronda Frigault first stepped into the skilled trades 26 years ago, she didn’t just pick up a hammer—she picked up a mission. As one of only a handful of women working in construction in Nova Scotia at the time, and just the second woman in the province to earn a Red Seal in Plumbing, she learned early on what it meant to build a career where few women had gone before.
Ronda now gives back as a National Technical Committee member in Plumbing for the Skills Canada National Competition, helping to guide and inspire the next generation of skilled workers.
“For me, one of the coolest things about being a woman in the trades is the independence,” Ronda explains. “I love being able to fix my own toilet or renovate my own bathroom. Those are skills I wanted from the beginning—and now I get to teach them to others.”
Opening Doors for the Next Generation
Twelve years ago, Ronda began teaching at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). As the college’s only female instructor in her area, she quickly became a role model for students who had never seen themselves represented in a skilled trade classroom.
“When I started teaching, there weren’t a lot of women in the room,” she says. “But little by little, more started to come. They’d see me at the front of the class and think, I can do this too, and that’s exactly what I want.”
NSCC now offers a free 14-week program for women interested in exploring careers in the trades—complete with a workshop led by Ronda. Seeing students discover their strengths is one of her favourite parts of the job.
“I always tell my students—and my kids—that they can be anything they want,” she says. “If they choose a trade, amazing. If not, that’s okay too. What matters most is finding something they truly love.”
Inspiring Confidence Through Techsploration
Beyond the classroom, Ronda volunteers with Techsploration, a Nova Scotia–based program that has spent 25 years introducing Grade 9 girls to careers in skilled trades, technology, science, and engineering.
Through the program, students visit Ronda’s workspace, learn about her career, and then bring what they’ve learned back to their schools through presentations. Twice a year, dozens of schools gather for events where students meet role models from across the province—and across industries.
“By the time they graduate high school, these girls have met over 350 female role models working in the skilled trades,” Ronda says. “It opens their eyes to possibilities they may have never known existed.”
She recalls one event where students met a female astronaut. “She was one of the most incredible women I’ve ever met,” Ronda says. “Programs like Techsploration show young women that not only can we do these jobs—we can excel at them. There’s accomplishment, there’s pride, and there’s a whole world of opportunity.”
