YELLOWKNIFE - When Kathleen Stroeder asked a group of Grade 1 and kindergarten students at Weledeh Catholic school on April 23 if girls could be carpenters, the answer from the students was a loud, "No."

Katie Cameron, 6, takes her turn playing with power tools during the Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre's Kindergarten/Grade One Activity days April 23 at the Weledeh Catholic school gymnasium. - Christine Grimard/NNSL photo

Stroeder, the former director of the Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre (KCTC) gets the same reaction asking the students about boys as hairdressers.

The students had gathered in the school's gymnasium for trades awareness activities organized by the KCTC along with Aurora College, Diavik, and DeBeers Canada.

The point of the day's activities was to get the students excited about the trades with a rotation of hands-on activities, including assembling PVC pipe, using power tools and hairdressing.

"It gets ingrained at an early age what they can and can't do," said Stroeder.

Larry Connolly, current director of the KCTC, said he was hoping not only to encourage both genders to get into the trades, but also to promote the idea that university is not the only path to success.

"A lot of people think trades are for second class citizens," said Connolly. KCTC offers classes for elementary and high school students hoping to encourage them to consider the trades.

For the six-year olds running around the Weledeh gymnasium, the day was mostly about having fun.

Grade 1 teacher Nathan McGrath said the students love anything they get to do that's hands-on over sitting in the classroom.

Katie Cameron, 6, said she loved playing as she drilled a series of holes into a wooden plank.

Cameron was so into her drilling, she kept losing her drill bit trying to drill as low as she could.

Dylan Byatt, 7, left his model with a rather unique hair-doo with three ponytails sticking up from the model's head.

Although Keelin Kobaisi, 5, is planning on being a dentist like his father, he enjoyed himself playing around with some plumbing, screwing on the washer under the sink.

The KCTC will be visiting St. Joseph school this Friday to try and lure some more children towards the trades.