Women can earn a good living in the trades — earning $500,000 or more over the span of their careers as a welder, mechanic or construction worker compared with jobs in the service or office sectors.
However, stigma, discrimination and cultural attitudes have, at times, prevented women from entering these careers or left them feeling unsupported once they were hired.
Schneps Media, Metro Philly’s parent company, in conjunction with Women in Nontraditional Careers (WINC), recently hosted a webinar to provide information about how women can explore careers in the trades.
Speakers included Sue Hoffman, senior associate of special projects for Philadelphia Works, the city’s workforce development board, and certified union glazier Tureka Dixon, who is the recruitment coordinator and an instructor at District Council 21’s Finishing Trades Institute.
