Posted On: October 22, 2025, Posted By: Yoyo Yan, NewmarketToday.ca, Original Article.
Her language may be raw, but her experience was real.
For Erin Panasenko, a graduate of the first Construct women’s cohort, the Blue Door program didn’t just train her for a job. It gave her a sense of belonging.
“When you can be yourself, when people around you see your values, your morals, your principles — you feel at home,” Panasenko said, reflecting on her time in the program. “I felt seen here.”
Now working as a construction craft worker, Panasenko laughs about the grit of her new trade. “You never smell good,” she joked. “You come home smelling like gas, oil, or dust — but I love it. I never thought I’d like concrete, but I f***ing love it.”
Her honesty, and pride, brought laughter and applause at Construct’s fifth anniversary celebration Tuesday at its Aurora training centre on Earl Stewart Drive. The milestone marked five years since Blue Door, a York Region-based nonprofit, launched Construct, its innovative skilled trades employment program for vulnerable individuals facing barriers to work and housing stability.
A model that works and grows
From a humble pilot project born “over a cup of coffee,” Construct has grown into a nationally recognized social enterprise. Since 2020, more than 750 participants have walked through its doors, 80 per cent leaving with jobs, stability, and hope.
“Construct was born from three urgent challenges,” said Emmy Kelly, interim CEO of Blue Door. “Rising homelessness, a shortage of skilled tradespeople, and a housing market that leaves too many people behind. We believed we could address these issues and prove a model that could ripple far beyond our region — and five years later, that belief has become reality.”
Construct’s impact extends beyond York Region, now operating in Durham and Peel, with training partnerships through Durham College, Humber College, and LiUNA Local 506. The program offers hands-on trades training, job placements, and wraparound supports — from transportation and childcare to mental health resources — to help participants build long-term stability.
A new chapter: Construct Canada
At the celebration, Blue Door board chair Michael Scarano announced the program’s next big step: a national expansion under the new banner Construct Canada.
“From a coffee table idea to an award-winning training model, Construct has proven it can create real, lasting change,” Scarano said. “Now, we’re ready to share that model nationwide, creating more pathways to stable employment and housing security.”
The national rollout has already begun, with pilot partnerships in Halifax and West Niagara, where early results show strong employment outcomes and improved housing stability for graduates.
Building futures and confidence
For participants like Panasenko, Construct’s impact goes beyond employment. It’s about breaking stereotypes and reclaiming confidence in a traditionally male-dominated field.
“You’ve got to have thick skin — it’s a man’s world,” she said. “But you show up, you bring it, and you prove you belong. That’s what Construct taught me.”
Kelly says stories like Panasenko’s show what’s possible when communities invest in people. “When we invest in individuals, we don’t just change a life,” she said. “We strengthen entire communities.”
With new partnerships, national expansion, and an unwavering mission, Blue Door’s Construct program continues to build what it always promised — not just careers, but futures.
To learn more about Construct, visit constructgta.ca.