Creating opportunities in the skilled trades in Canada

Women Building Futures (WBF) is a Canadian non-profit organisation that helps women and gender diverse people develop the skills and the tools needed to enter skilled trades such as construction, power engineering and heavy vehicle operation. With this March visit, Liebherr-Canada wanted to give the group a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work with the Liebherr Group – specifically the mining, deep foundation and duty cycle equipment, earthmoving and mobile and crawler cranes product segments. The group toured the Acheson facilities, learned about the history of Liebherr and chatted with members of the Liebherr-Canada team to get a better understanding of what their work looks like from day to day.

‘We’ve since been in contact with the women who visited us to discuss open roles within Liebherr-Canada,’ says Samantha Walton, Liebherr-Canada’s director of human resources. ‘We’re pleased to say that one of the WBF candidates from that March visit joined our Acheson team as a labourer in June.’

Building career pathways together

Liebherr-Canada has worked with WBF since 2022, with the aim of creating opportunities for women to enter the skilled trades and get valuable hands-on experience in these workplaces with supports such as mentors and ongoing training. As one of WBF’s Employers of Choice, Liebherr-Canada actively participates in WBF’s community of practice by attending webinars, conferences, various training sessions and networking events.

‘The March site visit at Acheson was part of a new endeavour within the partnership that gives WBF participants the chance to see our branches up close, meet our employees and take part in workshops across our different product segments,’ explains Walton. ‘That first site visit was a big success and has generated a lot of interest and new applications for job openings with Liebherr-Canada.’

From the classroom to a career

After completing her training through WBF, Katelin Mah went on to secure a role as a shipper & receiver at Liebherr-Canada’s Acheson branch. What began as a short-term opportunity in June 2025 soon became something more. After three months, Katelin was offered a permanent position and has been part of the Acheson team ever since.

‘WBF gave me the confidence I needed before stepping into the workforce, helping me to discover which trade I'm both best at and genuinely enjoy. Transitioning from WBF into my role at Liebherr-Canada felt seamless. I arrived prepared, knowing what to expect and how to show up as my best self in any situation,’ says Mah.

Closing the gap in mining

According to 2025 data from Canada’s Mining Industry Human Resources Council, women make up 19 % of the workforce within Canadian mining – an all-time high for the sector. While this represents promising progress – particularly as it’s above the global average of 10 to 13 % – this still falls considerably short of the national average of 47 % across all industries. Partnering with organisations like WBF is one way that Liebherr-Canada is working to help close that gap.

‘We’re planning to host events like the one that took place in March twice a year moving forward, and to expand our collaboration into new provinces in Canada where Liebherr and WBF operate. In fact, the next event is currently planned for July,’ says Walton. ‘We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with WBF and hope to encourage more women to give careers in the skilled trades a go.’