CLEVELAND — There’s a new effort underway to get more women into the skilled trades. It’s a topic I’ve reported on before. Now I’ve learned about a free opportunity for interested women to find out if this is a good fit.
Teres Taylor is one of 18 women participating in Cleveland Builds’ first all-female apprenticeship-readiness cohort.
“I like using my hands, and I like working with tools,” Taylor said. “But this, women working together, coming together? That is just so, it’s dope!”
I spoke with Darlene Glass, the Director of Training & Programming at Cleveland Builds, who said a pre-apprenticeship program like this is the best place to start if you’re considering a career in the skilled trades. Glass is leading the training. She said the program helps participants pick the right trade and sets them up for success. It’s designed to empower women to pursue this line of work.
“I know a lot of us, especially my generation, was told this was not our work, it was men’s work. But we definitely can do it. I’ve been a carpenter for over 20 years,” Glass said.
I’ve told you before about the focus on increasing female representation in the skilled trades. Right now, it’s only around 5% actually working with tools.
Other efforts are underway, like this new partnership between Canton City Schools and Ohio Gratings allowing female students like 17-year-old Andrew Mitchell to earn and learn welding during her school day.
Related: Female students in Canton are reshaping the future of male-dominated industries
I also introduced you to 19-year-old Lauren Johnson, a second-year apprentice in Cleveland through Pipefitters Local 120. Tuition for her five-year apprenticeship is free. She'll make at least $45/hour when she graduates.
Related: More women are in the talent pipeline for a busy decade of Greater Cleveland construction projects
This pre-apprenticeship program through Cleveland Builds would be the step before any union-sponsored learning opportunities like Johnson is doing.
“Our goal is to kind of get you here and get you working and making money as quickly as possible,” Glass said.
The free program runs for three weeks. There are sessions during the daytime or evening hours. Upon graduation, the women and the other cohorts will be ready for placement in a union construction apprenticeship program, better prepared for more confident for success.
“The trades is definitely a career, it’s not a job,” Glass told me. “It’s something that you take into retirement that you can really sustain a whole life on, raise your kids on, buy a house on.”
Glass said the tradeswomen are a support system, which is critical in this male-dominated field. Taylor said it was a male figure in her life who instilled a love of building when she was young.
“My father used to work on houses, and I was his shadow,” she said. Now she’s returning to that childhood passion to fuel her future.
While this pre-apprenticeship is already underway, sign-ups are open for the next round. Cleveland Builds also helps program graduates with contracts, testing, and getting them started with gear like tools and work boots. Glass said it’s all about removing barriers so that support stretches beyond the program.
“We tell people when they graduate, we're still here,” she said. “Even if you're working 6 months down the line - a year - you need something you call us, we're here, you know?"
You can learn about the pre-apprenticeship programs offered by Cleveland Builds here.
