Women in Apprenticeship Training Institute
Outreach, recruitment, retention, and leadership development for women in skilled trades have been the mission of Tradeswomen Inc. (TWI), since its start in 1979. On June 16, the mission was on full display when TWI held its annual Women in Apprenticeship Training Institute at the California State University East Bay facilities in Oakland.
Women and men representing unions, pre-apprenticeship organizations, contractors, and workforce development programs gathered from around the state to hear from experts on issues important to women in the trades. Some of the workshops included Apprenticeship Childcare Models that Work, Contractor DEI Accountability, RISE Up Training, Apprenticeship Childcare in California, and during lunch, Tradeswomen Speak: Voices from the Field.
While the survey found that many women who work in the trades feel respected and enjoy their work, nearly half of the 2,635 respondents (47.7%) reported that they are held to a different standard than their male co-workers, face discrimination in many aspects of their work, and sometimes contend with unsupportive if not hostile work environment. More than a quarter of the respondents (26.5%) reported that harassment for being a woman is a constant issue with 23.6% saying they frequently face sexual harassment.
Assistance with finding and paying for childcare was the focus of the Apprenticeship Childcare in California workshop. The presenters were all members of organizations awarded the Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeship (ERiCA) Grant and they shared how they are managing the funds they received. Annie McMonigle, Executive Director of the Apprenticeship Readiness Fund, a nonprofit of the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building & Construction Trades Council, said the ERiCA Grants are an exciting opportunity. Her organization will be providing vouchers to qualified apprentices. Kathleen Barber, with the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (NJATC), shared that the funds will be provided to Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees and distributed to qualified applicants who will receive $833.33 a month for 12 months. The discussion also included how providing childcare could be considered a benefit by employers and used as an organizing tool by unions.
The TWI event proved to be eye-opening, inspirational, and energizing for participants who concluded the day knowing that the issues important to tradeswomen are being considered and worked on to ensure women in construction can continue contributing to building a better world for all of us.
June 2023