WSWHE BOCES kicks off Women in Trades Initiative
GREENWICH, N.Y. >> As the Washington County Fair comes to a close, a new program is starting up at WSWHE BOCES.
In the Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools, which have a campus in Saratoga Springs and in Hudson Falls, a new Women in Trades Initiative was launched this weekend. As the name suggests, the goal of the new initiative is to get women interested and involved in trade careers.
The initiative kicked off at the Washington County Fair, where CTE has had a dedicated tent since 2017 and BOCES has had a presence for many years. On Friday, which in recent years has been CTE Day, CTE hosted a working lunch where women of all ages could meet with current and past CTE students and women in successful trade careers. Speakers at the lunch included Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, and superintendent of Stillwater Central School District Patricia Morris.
According to research conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in a 2018 report, less than 3.4% of construction trade workers are women. That number is comparable with women working in other skilled trades. The BOCES CTE programs intends to get those numbers higher with the Women in Trades Initiative.
“This is a national problem,” commented WSWHE BOCES district superintended of schools James Dexter. “It’s not just local, it’s not just regional.”
“Today we’re shining a light on women in trades,” said Mor
ris. “Today is a beginning, not a culmination.”
“Our job isn’t to hand out diplomas, but to make sure our kids are set for the future,” remarked Woerner. Addressing the women in trade careers present at the lunch, she said, “We need to tap into you. We need you as mentors. These young women here today see your success, they see that there’s a place for them too.”
During the working lunch, which was provided by Miller’s Backyard BBQ, a panel discussion was held. The panel was moderated by Nancy DeStefano, assistant superintendent of instructional services at WSWHE BOCES. With sounds of the fair in the background, the panelists answered questions about challenges and successes in their trade careers, and offered advice for women thinking about trade careers themselves.
At the conclusion of the panel discussion, it was time for “breakout groups.” Each table of attendees, which included one BOCES staff member, discussed a short list of questions regarding awareness and accessibility of trade careers to women. The BOCES staff recorded answers and ideas, to be developed further and utilized in the Women in Trades Initiative.
“My hope for today,” said Dexter, “is that we’ll come up with a bigger plan between us, school districts, and industries to get women into trades. We want women to see that trade careers are a very real and very accessible possibility. Our ultimate outcome is that women everywhere will go do it.”
BOCES staff noted that the Women in Trades Initiative, while propelled by the CTE schools, is not just for high school students. There are plenty of opportunities available through the BOCES Employment Training for Adults (ETA) programs.
“Especially now, with some of our local communities seeing an economic downturn, women in trades is really important,” said Michelle Maddalla, principal of innovative programs and fair coordinator for BOCES. “I think one of the things that’s important about today is being able to listen to people walking those roads. I really appreciate Mr. Dexter’s approach to opening up these opportunities.”
“We’ve been focusing on women in trades for the last couple of years,” commented Michelle Stockwell, ETA supervisor. “There’s such a shortage in the workforce right now, and having a whole other avenue for women, with well-paid careers, is important.”
Past and present CTE students attested to the importance of the opportunities
for trade careers that BOCES provided for them. Ashley Flynn, who graduated CTE in 2017, noted that while a trade career might not be the right choice for everyone, it is worth looking into to see if it’s a good fit for you.
“CTE made me realize
that I wanted to study natural resource conservation management,” Flynn said. “You should definitely consider looking into it. You can always go for a visit and see what BOCES has to offer.”
“I got into it because my dad was a mechanic,
and I really liked watching what he did,” said Elizabeth Goodspeed, who will be starting her senior year studying to be an automotive technician in September. “Being in a setting where it could be my first job, using the tools and meeting new people, I feel like I’m definitely more prepared.”
Goodspeed offered the following advice for young women thinking about trade careers: “Try to get out there. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t, and if they do say it, don’t believe them.”