Repost: Breaking the Stigma in the Skilled Trades

Women are a resource to help address the looming shortage of skilled workers

TORONTO — As Ontario struggles to find a solution to a labour shortage that will require an estimated 40,000 skilled workers over the next decade, stigma blocks a potential workforce that could play a large part in rectifying the problem.

The historical and misguided public perception that the skilled trades are the domain of big, brawny, handy men has resulted in a dearth of women in the trades, but it is past time to break down those barriers, says Tammy Evans, President of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction.

“We have unemployed and underemployed women who are a natural resource for entering the skilled trades,” says Evans, who will be at Future Building 2014 in an effort to reach the next generation of potentialtradeswomen. “Events like Future Building are a great opportunity to educate the public and really push the discussion to ask why not? Why not open the door to a woman in the skilled trades? Why not consider investing in training, hiring and promoting women in trades as a viable, homegrown, economic advantage to address the current and future shortage of skilled trades?”

Future Building, partnership of the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) and Employment Ontario, is a three-day interactive trade expo geared towards students in Grades 7-12, showcasing the various skilled trades in the industrial, commercial and institutional construction sector, including masons, plumbers, glaziers, carpenters, ironworkers, steamfitters and sheet metal workers.

This year’s show will take place April 8-10 at the Mainway Recreation Centre in Burlington.

“The unionized construction sector has been actively working to increase the number of women in the skilled trades, and we expect we will see a lot of young women touring the show floor at Future Building,” says Sean Strickland, Chief Executive Officer of the OCS. “Technology has changed the needs of the skilled workforce. The opportunities in the construction trades are open to everybody. We need to talk about that, recognize it and promote it.”

An event like Future Building is necessary because the past two generations of students have been drilled that university is the only path to a career, says Evans.

“We have this perception of trades as not being for smart people, but that in fact is not true,” she says. “Skilled tradespeople are intelligent, professionally-trained workers. We need to elevate that profile. In the current market, a university graduate with a general arts degree, if they can find a job in their chosen field, should realistically expect a starting salary in the $40,000 to $50,000 range at best. They are unlikely to be above $50,000 to start. A first-year journeyperson coming out of trade school (depending on the particular trade) will likely earn between $60,000 and $70,000, and has the potential to earn a six-figure income within five years.”

To view the original article, visit http://www.exchangemagazine.com.

Repost: Kudumbasree’s masons all set to enter construction industry

Kudumbasree members undergo masonry training in Kochi.

Construction training for women happening in India!

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M. P. PRAVEEN

On successfully creating a pool of women engineers and supervisors in a largely male-dominated construction sector, the Kudumbasree Mission in the district is all set to expand its presence in the sector by training women in allied activities.

The mission is now focused on training skilled masons, plumbers and electricians.

A 90-day training in masonry for the first batch of 30 women has been completed and the second batch of 25 women is set to complete training this month-end. Ten of those who completed training are undergoing internship while many among the rest are doing independent works.

As part of their practical training, Kudumbasree members constructed three houses at Panayikkulam near Aluva. The houses are pucca houses and could be sold by the agency concerned, a senior Kudumbasree official in the district told The Hindu.

An agency based in Ettumanoor was roped in to create the module of training and to execute it. The same agency has been entrusted with training plumbers and electricians.

The masons trained under the programme will be roped in for projects to be undertaken by the construction wing of Kudumbasree, thereby helping them gain more experience and get more works.

A pool of 37 engineers and supervisors trained by KITCO and split into three teams is now equipped to take up construction assignments.

The agreement for their first assignment, a project to construct houses for scheduled communities at Edakkattuvayal, is likely to be signed soon after the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 10.

The training module for plumbers and electricians has already been prepared. Training will start only after the elections to avoid violation of the model code of conduct in force.

Applications are being sought from aspiring candidates through the neighbourhood Kudumbasree units. Attitude and aptitude for the job are paramount considerations.

The Kudumbasree Mission is looking to train a batch of 20 plumbers and 20 electricians initially,

The Ernakulam branch of the mission was the first to initiate training for engineers, supervisors, masons, plumbers and electricians. Now, Wayanad and Palakkad units are planning to launch training programmes in masonry.

The district unit of the mission has concluded training for supervisors and engineers in the construction sector for the time being.

The project was implemented with the aid of HUDCO and it would be resumed only if someone offered assistance, the official said.

Repost: Gov. Hassan talks of "Building Pathways" for women during building trades pre-apprenticeship info session

Word is getting out about the new pre-apprenticeship program, Building Pathways New Hampshire. Three dozen women attended Building Pathways New Hampshire's info session earlier this week and got to meet Governor Hassan, who spoke movingly about the power of doing non-traditional jobs, the critical value of construction to the state's economy, and the pride of doing challenging work.

Building Pathways New Hampshire's last info session will be held this Thursday, March 27, 6 - 7:30pm at 161 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett. Spread the word!

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By RYAN O’CONNOR
Union Leader Correspondent

HOOKSETT — For years, Gov. Maggie Hassan built pathways for herself, which ultimately led to the top spot in New Hampshire’s state government.

Monday, the first-term governor was at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall in Hooksett, encouraging other Granite State females to reach their dreams through Building Pathways, a new, no-fee pre-apprenticeship program designed to bring local women into the high-skill, high-pay world of union construction careers.

“As only the second woman governor in New Hampshire history, I know a little bit about taking the non-traditional path,” Hassan told the room of about three dozen woman and several men.

“Knowing you have a skill for businesses and to people is really, really transforming,” said Hassan. “I happen to know each one of you has it in you, just as someone told me 14 years ago when someone told me ‘why don’t you run for the state Senate.’”

Jane Triboletta said she’s an outspoken supporter of Hassan due to the governor’s vision for women in New Hampshire. In addition, she said admitted she felt she should be paying Building Pathways for the “amazing opportunity.”

Gov. Maggie Hassan was one of several speakers at Monday night’s

Building Pathways informational meeting at the Plumbers

and Pipefitters Hall in Hooksett. (Ryan O’Connor Photo)

“I’m 41 years old and I have a 16-year-old, and I want the next 20 years of my life to count for something ... to build things or work with people that can teach me something that can never be taken away from me,” she said.

Hassan said many women already have the ability to develop the skills necessary to succeed in perceived men’s careers but, in many cases, limit themselves mentally.

“For those of you that are mothers, know that nothing is as hard as being a mother, so you’re all set there,” said Hassan. “But you need to understand that you can do this ... and the other thing you will find is that there are a number of great men to be there by your side to help you ... and you get to turn around and help others do the same thing, and we will all get stronger through your success.”

Building Pathways has another informational session scheduled for Match 27 at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Hall at 161 Londonderry Turnpike in Hooksett. Those interested in additional information may call 491-2406.

Visit http://www.unionleader.com to view the original article.

Repost: New Women's Bureau Director

President Obama appointed Latifa Lyles as the 17th director of the Women's Bureau, and she was officially sworn in on March 11. As director of the Women's Bureau, Lyles works to advance and improve policies and programs for women in the labor force. "The Women's Bureau has been working to level the playing field for more than 90 years," Lyles said. "It has been on the cutting edge of promoting policies that continue to help millions of working women, and I am excited to lead the agency during such a critical time."

View the USDOL newsletter to view the original article or learn more about Director Latifa Lyles.

Repost: Sisters of Philadelphia (video)

Great stories from UBC Sisters in Philly!


Sisters of Philadelphia from UBC Sisters in the Brotherhoo on Vimeo.

Repost: Sister Carpenters Build Your Future (video)

Great stories from women carpenters in UBC!


Sister Carpenters Build Your Future from UBC Sisters in the Brotherhoo on Vimeo.

Career Opportunity: Building Pathways New Hampshire pre-apprenticeship program

Building Pathways New Hampshire is looking for women who want to join the construction trades!


BPNH PSA-JB 03122014 from UBC Sisters in the Brotherhoo on Vimeo.

Repost: Building unions seek women

Great press on the new Building Pathways New Hampshire! Please spread the word to any individuals in NH interested in a career in the building trades.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

New Hampshire’s Building Trades Unions are looking for NH women who are seeking a good career with a future and who like working with their hands as well as their brain; who have a sense of adventure; and who like making good wages and benefits.

Building Pathways New Hampshire, a new pre-apprenticeship program designed to bring Granite State women into high-skill, high-wage construction careers is now seeking applicants for its upcoming training program slated to begin in mid-May. Building Pathways is a five week, hands-on education and training program in the building trades, with commitments to place qualified graduates into union apprenticeships.

Interested women MUST attend one of the four information sessions, which will be held on March 11, 13, 17, and 24 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall, 161 Londonderry Turnpike, Hookset.

Classes will start Monday, May 12, and end Friday, June 13, at the Carpenters Training Center in Manchester. Classes will be Monday – Friday, 7 am-3:30 pm, the typical construction day.

Students will get hands-on instruction in a number of trades including carpentry, electrical, sheetmetal, plumbing and more. They will earn their OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR certificates. They will visit different training centers as well as an active construction site. The class is free of charge, but space is limited – only 13 women will be accepted.

“I’ve been a union carpenter for 25 years. I started my apprenticeship in 1989, and I have loved it. I’ve worked on heavy highway concrete jobs, and high-end finish jobs. I moved up the career ladder and worked for a contractor doing estimating, and now I work for the union. I’ve made good money, and have a real skill that no one can take from me. It’s been an incredibly rewarding career,” said Liz Skidmore, a long-time carpenter and now business manager of Carpenters Union Local 118.

“In most fields, women don’t get paid as much as men doing the same work. In the Granite State, women only get paid $0.77 to the dollar a man makes. I’m proud that in the union building trades, women get paid exactly the same, dollar for dollar, hour.”

Skidmore added, “Construction work isn’t for everyone – male or female; you have to want to work hard and work outside in all weather, but if you love the work, it’s a fantastic career. The health and retirement benefits are exceptional.”

The program is designed for female New Hampshire residents who are unemployed or underemployed, who are physically able to work in construction, are 18 or older, are authorized to work in the US, have a high school diploma or GED, are drug free and agree to drug testing, are on time, are interested in a construction career, can pass an eighth grade level English and math test and who have access to reliable transportation. Women of color and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.

The program is sponsored by the NH AFL-CIO, the NH State Building and Construction Trades Council, and the Carpenters Union. It is supported by federal Workforce Investment Act funds, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and program partners.

Anyone interested in applying should contact Joe Gallagher at 603-948-8161 or at buildingpathwaysnh@gmail.com. Program information can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/buildingpathwaysnh

Visit http://www.fosters.com/ to view the original article.

Repost: Settlement Requires New Jersey Contractor, Plumbers’ Union to Recruit More Women

By Lorraine McCarthy

March 3 — A New Jersey mechanical contracting company agreed Feb. 24 to pay a total of $400,000 to settle allegations that it violated state law and regulations barring gender discrimination in employment by failing to employ female plumbers on jobs it handled, including many taxpayer-funded projects (In re Falasca Mech. Inc. and Plumbers & Pipefitters Local No. 332, N.J. Att'y Gen., No. EF14SB-61686, administrative consent order filed 2/24/14).

Under terms of the administrative consent order announced by the New Jersey Attorney General's office, Falasca Mechanical Inc. of Vineland, N.J., will make payments of $250,000 to the state and $150,000 to journeyman plumber Bette Feldeisen, a member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 322.

Under its ongoing labor agreement with Local 322, Falasca staffs its projects by requesting workers from the union.

The state alleged that Falasca repeatedly hired less experienced, less qualified male plumbers over Feldeisen and in general failed to make a good-faith effort to employ female plumbers while handling millions of dollars in public works jobs.

Local 322, which is a non-paying party to the same settlement, agreed to join with Falasca in a cooperative effort to increase female recruitment into the union and to increase training and employment opportunities for female plumbers during the next three apprenticeship cycles.

Preferential Hiring of Men Alleged
Feldeisen worked for Falasca on occasional jobs beginning in 2000 and continuously from December 2006 through January 2009, when she was laid off for economic reasons, according to the state's summary of the case.

When the company was hired for a 2009 hospital construction project that required work on medical gas systems, Feldeisen, who holds a certification in medical gas installation, was passed over by Falasca and the union in favor of male plumbers who had fewer years of experience and who weren't certified in medical gas installation, according to the state.

In administrative complaints filed against Falasca and the union in September 2010, Feldeisen alleged that she was passed over repeatedly when Falasca sought plumbers through Local 322 for private and public projects, despite her experience and prior employment relationship with the contractor.

Her complaints alleged gender discrimination in violation of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and the state's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) rules for public contractors.

The state's investigation showed that “for a period of at least four years, encompassing over 150 public contracts, Falasca has not been in compliance with the EEO rules when accepting and carrying out public contracts,’’ according to the consent order.

Hiring Goals, Recruitment Efforts Mandated
Under terms of its agreement with the state, Falasca makes no admission of wrongdoing or liability.

In addition to the monetary terms of the settlement, Falasca agreed to work with Local 322 to comply with state hiring goals for female workers.

The company also agreed to keep records for at least three years of its efforts to reach hiring goals for women for every public contract it is awarded, including records of all individuals requested or referred from a union and all those interviewed or hired.

Falasca also will develop its own anti-discrimination and EEO rules compliance policy, distribute it to all unions with which the company has a labor agreement, and provide mandatory training on the policy to all project managers, foremen, hiring personnel and the Local 322 business manager.

The settlement includes reporting and monitoring provisions to ensure compliance.

The Local 322 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) has committed to its own outreach and recruitment efforts to attract more women to the apprenticeship program.

The union agreed to undertake outreach to students in at least three vocational-technical high schools during the next five academic years to provide information about the plumbing industry as a career and to encourage first- and second-year female students to pursue careers in the trade.

Representatives of Falasca and Local 322 could not be reached for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lorraine McCarthy in Philadelphia at lmccarthy@bna.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Susan J. McGolrick at smcgolrick@bna.com

Repost: Trades discuss challenges of attracting women and minorities

A pre-apprenticeship program in Pennsylvania helps women and minorities prepare to join the building trades.

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By Michael Bradwell
Feb 10, 2014

There are ample job opportunities in skilled trades for the area’s women and minorities, but promotion of the available positions is not always evident.

That was the acknowledgement Monday by a group of speakers from trade unions and the state Department of Transportation, who said there are a variety of reasons for the situation, one that they’re trying to remedy.

The discussions were part of a three-hour minority and female employment information forum at PONY League headquarters in Washington Square. The event was sponsored by state Rep. Brandon Neuman, D-North Strabane, and state Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg.

Neuman said at the outset of the forum, which drew many high school guidance counselors and community representatives, including Washington Mayor Brenda Davis, that he was prompted to hold the event after learning from a constituent that he noticed a construction site that had no minorities or women working on it.

Monday’s event was the third that Neuman sponsored over the past two years. The others focused on career opportunities in the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry and the importance of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM instruction, in high school curriculums.

As for opportunities that require a skilled trade, “We don’t have enough minorities, and we don’t have enough women in these jobs,” Neuman said.

Jason Koss, director of industry relations for the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania, noted that a number of large PennDOT highway projects such as the recently completed flyover at the south junction of Interstates 70 and 79, the Findlay Connector and the recently funded Southern Beltway project, provide jobs for large numbers of people who have skilled trades.

But getting a job requires someone to apply to one of the trade unions and take an entry exam focused on basic math and communication skills. If applicants achieve a high enough score, they receive an interview with Koss and others who determine which trade school would be appropriate for successful applicants.

Koss, whose group works with trade unions and contractors involved in construction of highways, airport runways, locks and dams, bridges and utility projects in 33 counties, acknowledged that across the counties, union heavy highway jobs had 9 percent minority and 3 percent women employees. Skilled trade apprenticeship programs currently have 12 percent minorities and seven percent women enrolled.

“It takes time to change these numbers,” he said.

Koss also acknowledged that while the jobs pay well, there are some challenges, including working in all types of weather, the need for reliable transportation and the requirement of working in a variety of locations.

“You could be in an urban area like Washington for two weeks, then the next two weeks, you could be in a rural area like Avella,” he said. He also acknowledged that the apprenticeship trade programs, whose training requires a multi-year learning commitment, receive little recognition, even though they pay the apprentices, who learn many of their skills on the job.

Another problem with the line of work is that it is sometime misunderstood by people who successfully earn jobs, but leave after a year or two because they don’t like the working conditions.

To remedy that, Koss said CAWP has developed “Future Road Builders,” a virtual highway construction pre-apprenticeship program that lets participants learn about the roles a carpenter, cement mason, laborer, heavy equipment operator and others play in a construction projects.

Jason Fincke, executive director of the Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania, noted that the average age of an apprentice is 27, noting that many people attend a trade school after college, or after losing a job.

He said career and technology schools are a good place for high school students to receive a grounding in a trade.

“Builders like people to go to apprenticeship schools,” which he said last from three to five years, but are tuition-free for successful applicants.

Like Koss, Fincke said the decision by many high schools to end driver training courses has had a negative impact on skilled trades, since all require apprentices to have reliable transportation.

The trades are open to women, but it’s often a tough sell, he said.

“It’s tough to get women to apply to our trades, but there isn’t a trade out there that doesn’t have women working in it,” he said.

Fincke acknowledged that grades are important, but trade schools tend to focus more on high school students’ attendance records, noting that attendance is an indicator of whether someone will show up for work every day.

William Kerney Jr., chief of the contract compliance division for PennDOT in Harrisburg, said his department works closely with all of its prime contractors to ensure that equal opportunity requirements are being met, but acknowledged that while employers will try many ways to find minorities and women to work on a project, including getting in touch with community leaders where they’re working, they often come up empty.

“We have to do a better job of communicating the opportunities that exist,” he said.

View the original article at http://www.observer-reporter.com/.