Massachusetts Girls in Trades

Our team was proud to attend the inaugural graduation of the Clean Energy Pre-Apprenticeship Program by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 103 (IBEW 103) and IBEW-NECA of Greater Boston, celebrating 34 graduates. Funded by the The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD), this first-of-its-kind program prepares 18- to 24-year-olds for entry into the IBEW registered apprenticeship and careers in clean energy. #preapprenticeship #unionapprenticeship #constructioncareers

For most Americans the dream isn’t always to become a millionaire, it is simply to have a family, a home and the ability to build a quality life. In an economy that is rigged against many Americans, who are without formal educations, learning a trade and belonging to a union will most definitely get you closer to that dream.

Don’t bog yourself down in college debt loans. Come learn a trade for free. If you want a college degree, enroll when you start making mechanic money, you’ll be able to pay for it with cash. When you’re finished with both, you’ll be twice as marketable. You’ll have an annuity and be vested in a pension. Now, that’s smart.

Wednesday, Nov 13, we had 500 girls in construction shops from 25 Vocational High Schools in Boston for a day of girl power! Tomorrow, we'll do the same in Holyoke for girls in Vocational Schools in Western MA! Another amazing Girls in Trades Massachusetts Eastern MA Conference! On Wednesday, Nov 13, over 500 girls from construction shops from 25 CTE schools celebrated all that's possible for women who want to go into the trades. Students got to meet current working tradeswomen, attend a workshop about how to join a union apprenticeship & what it has to offer, and meet industry leaders at 45 booths ranging from individual apprenticeships to contractors to state leaders. In the plenaries, students got to be inspired by the MA Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, the MA Secretary of Labor Lauren Jones and the MA AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch. Educators got to meet in their own workshops to address gender equity and helping students enter the trades. Many thanks to the conference sponsors including Massachusetts Building Trades Unions, Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District, IBEW Local 103, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, MA Associated General Contractors of America, Columbia Construction, Commodore Builders, Dimeo Construction Company, Keolis Commuter Services, Milwaukee Tool, Raytheon, Select Demo Services, Sulivan McLaughlin, Turner Construction Company, @Walsh Brothers, & W.L. French. Loved having all the schools: Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School, Blue Hills Regional Technical School, DMC Durfee High School, @Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical School, Cambridge Rindge & Latin School of Technical Arts, Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL, Greater Lowell Technical High School, J.P. Keefe Technical High School, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Medford Vocational Technical High School, Milford High School, Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School, Nashoba Valley Regional Vocational Technical School, Norfolk County Agricultural High School, Northeast Metro Tech, Plymouth South High School, Revere High School, Southeastern Technical Institute, Somerville High School, @South Shore Vocational Technical High School, Upper Cape Regional Technical School, Weymouth High School, Whittier Regional Vocational School. #tradeswomen #shecanbewhatshecansee #buildlikeagirl

Great way to cap off Christmas Eve eve with a visit from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and the signing of new executive order aimed at boosting women's employment in the construction industry! I was honored to join Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, Secretary Lauren Jones and many labor and industry leaders at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 17's Training Center today for the official signing.

During #MassApprenticeshipWeek, we asked future tradeswomen at the Western Massachusetts Girls in Trades Conference to share their advice for young women pursuing a successful career in the building trades through a Massachusetts Registered Apprenticeship program. 💪✨👷♀️

#MassApprenticeshipWeek so far: 🎉 Kicking off Massachusetts Apprenticeship Week at Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 12! Celebrating pathways to great careers in the trades. 🇺🇸 Honoring our veterans through Helmets to Hardhats at the State House. Apprenticeships help build careers for those who’ve served. 💪 Inspiring the next generation! The Western Mass Girls in Trades Conference empowers young women to explore rewarding careers in the trades. 🛠️ Behind-the-scenes at Metrica Interior Inc! A woodworking tour showcasing skilled craftsmanship and apprenticeship in action. 💼 Apprentice Network with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce—hearing directly from individuals whose lives were transformed by apprenticeships. 💰 Big news! Over $3 million announced for registered apprenticeship funding to expand opportunities across Massachusetts. 🤝 Collaborating for the future! The MassHire Workforce Board Meeting at Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 focuses on apprenticeship at a state and local level among topics. ✅ Official launch of the Massachusetts Registered Apprenticeship LinkedIn page 🎉 Follow our new Apprenticeship LinkedIn page to stay updated with the Division of Apprentice Standards and discover the value of registered apprenticeships.

The last 2 weeks have filled my cup back up! Watching all of these young women research future career opportunities while being supported by women doing the work everyday is the reason I do what I do! Thank you to Lauren Jones for attending both conferences! Patrick Tutwiler, PhD for inspiring the future, Chrissy Lynch for giving these young ladies the knowledge of what they can have and to Massachusetts Girls in Trades for pulling everyone together! We are strong together!

Now is the perfect time to plan your professional development for 2025! Enrollment is open for the next cohort of Wentworth Institute of Technology's Leadership in the Built Environment (LBE) Academy for women leaders and allies in construction, engineering, architecture, real estate, infrastructure, and beyond. Society of Women Engineers Professional Women in Construction Boston Chapter Massachusetts Girls in Trades WTS Boston Chapter New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE) New England Women in Construction Women in Lighting + Design Boston | bWILD National Association of Women in Construction

This year's theme for #MassSTEMWeek was #STEMStartsNow and Massachusetts Girls in Trades drives this home each and every day, encouraging female career and technical education students to pursue careers in the building trades. 👩🔧👷♀️🏗️🚧🛠️