Valiant TMS opens up HQ to non-profit that introduces women to skilled trades

Intelligent automation provider Valiant TMS has welcomed Build a Dream, a non-profit dedicated to helping young women explore careers in traditionally male-dominated industries, to share space at its corporate headquarters in Windsor, Ontario.

Valiant TMS is a regular exhibitor at Build a Dream career discovery expos, which are interactive events where young women and their parents hear from professional women in under-represented careers in skilled trades, STEM, emergency response and entrepreneurship.

“Sponsoring young talent through programs like Build a Dream allows us to invest in our future,” says Pete Naysmith, director, service and spare parts at Valiant TMS.

“By focusing on the good jobs in skilled trades in our community we can help young women leverage innovation and technology to become leaders in the industry.”

Valiant TMS is an Industry 4.0 system integrator specializing in welding and joining, automated assembly and test, industrial parts washers and final assembly systems.

The company has integrated diversity and inclusion into its corporate culture, and has several female co-op students and apprentices on staff who found their careers by attending Build a Dream events.

Build a Dream will stay in the space for two years as part of the agreement.

In February, Valiant TMS hosted Filomena Tassi, federal minister of labour to its robotics lab to announce a $728,000 investment in Build a Dream through the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness program.

Industry plays a large role in the work the non-profit does, and Build a Dream has worked collaboratively and in partnership to scale the organization across Canada.

“This move represents another milestone for our organization,” says Nour Hachem-Fawaz, president and founder of Build a Dream.

“The new space will accommodate our growing team and allow us to expand the valuable tools and resources that we provide to empower young women, assist families with career planning, provide educators with tools, and help industry create inclusive workplaces.”