Around the country, tradeswomen’s organizations, apprenticeship programs, unions, contractors, and tradeswomen themselves are creating and implementing effective strategies for recruiting and retaining women in the trades.   The Center is collecting these best practices to provide a in-depth look at the elements that make these strategies so effective.

Bridging the Gender Gap: Creating a National Pre-apprenticeship Program to Prepare Women for the Iron Working Industry – Read about the International Ironworkers’ innovative women only pre-apprenticeship program that specifically trains and provides direct entry to apprenticeship for program graduates.

Forging Gender Equity in the Sheet Metal Workers Local 28: The Importance of Leadership, goals and Regular Review– Read about how the Sheet Metal Workers Local #28’s progress toward a women’s participation rate of 20% in apprenticeship.

Women’s Committees: A Key to Recruiting and Retaining Women Apprentices – Read about how women’s committees are supporting recruitment and retention of women in apprenticeship.

Massachusetts Supply and Demand Strategy: A Successful Model for Increasing Gender Diversity in the Trades– Read about how the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues and its partners have transformed opportunity for women in construction through a comprehensive supply and demand strategy.

Building Equity: Addressing the Impacts of Violence on Pre-apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Programs – Twenty-seven percent of women and 11%  of men been victims of domestic violence, learn more about how intimate partner violence impacts participants outside the home and learn strategies for supporting victims and keeping your workspaces safe for everyone.

Wire a Light: A Workshop Designed to Increase Apprentice Diversity – Read about how this simple strategy increased participation of women and men of color in IBEW/NECA local 48’s apprenticeship program.

#Me Too in Traditionally Male-Dominated Occupations: Preventing and Addressing Sexual Harassment – Providing work sites that are free from harassment, intimidation and retaliation is critical to retaining women in the nontraditional workforce.  Learn more about how harassment impacts women in male-dominated occupations and strategies for preventing and addressing harassment in the workplace.