Non-profit Organization Advances Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives in Manufacturing to Fill Skills Gap

Who is Build A Dream, and what is the organization’s mission?

Nour Hachem-Fawaz, President and Founder, Build A Dream: Build a Dream delivers specialized programs to encourage and empower female students to explore careers where women are underrepresented while also working to create a gender-balanced workforce and change global perspectives on women’s contribution to society.

We work to highlight career and opportunities that fall under five pillars:

1. Skilled trades
2. STEM
3. Emergency response
4. Entrepreneurship
5. Advancing women in society.

We offer the following: #DreamBig Career Discovery Expos, #HerPower Career Guide, a podcast, “Perfectly Unfiltered,” highlighting women in the workforce and work being done to open doors, as well as workshops (for educators: Building #HerPower, Shattering the Ceiling; for industry: Inclusive Culture Workplace, Recruiting for Diversity).

Build a Dream offers programs and services for young women (and guardians), educators and industry across many sectors. We mainly focus on STEM and skilled trades (partners include EllisDon, Carpenters Union of Ontario, Magna, etc.).

In a nutshell, we connect industry directly to students, facilitating awareness and career exploration. We help businesses attract, recruit and fill their talent pipeline while also supporting them to advance their talent as the business grows for the future. Finally, we focus our passion and expertise on providing resources, workshops and best practices to businesses, driving diversity and inclusion initiatives across all industries.

 

What is your background, and what led you to launch Build A Dream?

Hachem-Fawaz: My mother inspired me. I watched her struggle and persevere as she grew a successful auto parts company. I obtained my MBA from the University of Windsor, with my mindset on helping to advance the position of women in society by encouraging girls and young women to consider career pathways in male-dominated fields.

In 2014 I launched the organization, and in 2017 we registered it as a non-profit. Then in 2020 Build a Dream became a charitable organization. We employ a staff of six all based in Windsor, Ontario, currently located within the headquarters of Valiant TMS (automation solutions).

Today, I have more than 13 years of experience as a workforce advisor, mentor and influencer, striving to inspire youth to make informed career choices that challenge the status quo.

I’ve traveled across Canada speaking about workforce development and recruiting women to work within male-dominated industries. I’ve led a research project with the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) to develop a national strategy to help industries attract, recruit, retain and advance women in the automotive industry.

I’m also a member of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) Task Force: National Strategy for Women in Trades. I’ve worked on programs for youth, newcomers, women on social assistance, internationally trained doctors and have spoken with hundreds of representatives from all levels of industry, education and government.

What is your general approach to attracting girls/women into manufacturing?

Hachem-Fawaz: We introduce them to women working in manufacturing and other fields where women are underrepresented so that they can see themselves in these roles too. These career women, or Dream Makers, share advice and insight about their journeys. This personal openness helps make the girls/women not feel alone, as these Dream Makers also did not know what to do, how to find their passion or always have a straight path. 

At our live events, we also have opportunities for hands-on exposure. For example, there are touch/use tools, work on wiring, the use of virtual reality training simulators and the ability to see and touch real manufactured products like molded parts, a snowmobile or an engine. 

Our Career Expos directly connect educators, students and their parents to businesses in the skilled trades, creating a pipeline between students and employers. Expos feature panelists from the industry that speak directly to students about their experiences, what skills are required and what the benefits are of working in the industry. Additionally, we highlight specific employees from the community to speak and share their company vision and how they recruit, attract and attain talent. We also highlight various post-secondary institutions leading the charge in the industry and what is required to obtain a diploma or degree to help students land the career of their dreams. 

What do you view as Build A Dream’s top differentiator among other related groups and the best example of the most significant success of Build A Dream?

Hachem-Fawaz: Build a Dream connects all the points along a career path and has the network to provide the insight needed at each stage. As for our most significant success, it has to be our live events through which young women receive the empowerment and inspiration they need to identify and secure their future careers.

 

What is the most significant challenge Build A Dream faces today, and how can our audience get involved?

Hachem-Fawaz: Ongoing funding is always a challenge, of course. So, finding corporate sponsors is vital. Our corporate sponsors allow our programs to grow nationwide and allow us to provide more opportunities to young women, their parents and educators as we guide women on their career discovery journey. When it comes to corporate sponsorship, the opportunities are endless, from in-kind, to donation and sponsorship.

We are also always looking for members for our Dream Maker Panel to speak at our Career Discovery Expos about the industry, the education required to secure a job and their career path to guide and inspire women interested in your industry.

Lastly, we invite your audience to look into our newly formed #HerPower Council made up of women working in skilled trades, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Emergency Response and Entrepreneurship. The council meets every two months to connect as industry professionals and discuss strategic direction and resources to support women looking for new career paths.

I believe it is an excellent opportunity for shops to educate young women about their businesses while connecting with new talent for the future. We ask for a one-year commitment to the council, bi-monthly meeting attendance and participation in organizational initiatives.

Are you familiar with moldmaking, and have you connected any girls/women with employment at a mold builder?

Hachem-Fawaz:  Through our events and within our extensive industry network, we have met with females in moldmaking and all areas of manufacturing.

We often ask these professionals to speak at events to offer advice and highlight their career paths for our young audience. We have also had many moldmakers exhibit at our events (including the Canadian Association of Moldmakers and the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association) introducing young women to many promising careers available.

For example, this past December, Kim Thiara, president of AceTronic (industrial controls, Ontario, Canada), participated as a Dream Maker panelist for our #DreamBigToronto expo.

Last year we worked with the Work-Based Learning Consortium to recruit more women into their free machinist training program, and we are currently working with the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing to provide solutions to improve employment outcomes for women in manufacturing. 

Also of note, is that one of our board members is Jonathon Azzopardi, president of Laval Tool (Ontario), a 60-person leading Canadian compression mold builder for customers ranging from military and government applications to household products, recreational vehicles, heavy trucks and specialty vehicles.

 

What are the most significant ways you expect the manufacturing workforce to evolve in the next three to five years?

Hachem-Fawaz: We will continue to see companies look for new ways to recruit, including partnering closely with schools to encourage participation at a very young age. Some have already done this by sponsoring OYAP precision metal-cutting programs in high school, but there is more to do. There is also a trend in businesses looking to new talent pools and partnering with organizations like Build a Dream who have shown success in attracting women into these skilled labor fields. 

Schools will need to evolve to ensure that young students get comfortable with technology and learn about careers at an early age. They need to directly tie preferences for art and math to manufacturing careers like design, programming, machining, etc.

And let’s face it, COVID-19 demonstrated not only how important manufacturing is to the world but how stable these jobs are because they are essential and lucrative.