Photo by Richard Hurd
WRTP | BIG STEP Hosts Women in the Trades Career Fair
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2022
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Stephanie Johnston, sjohnston@wrtp.org or 608-255-0155
WRTP | BIG STEP Hosts WOMEN IN THE TRADES Career Fair
WRTP | BIG STEP of South Central Wisconsin and the Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin are hosting its Women in the Trades Career Fair on March 22, 2022 between 3 PM – 7 PM at the Madison Labor Temple, 1602 South Park Street, Madison, WI. Our goal is to introduce women to the numerous career pathways within the union construction industry’s seventeen building trades. This is a free event and open to the public.
COVID-19 highlighted the daily inequalities that women, especially women of color, face. Women disproportionately shouldered the “essential worker” status in low wage jobs like grocery store clerks and fast food cashiers (more than 65% are female)1, and while men comprise the lion’s share of “essential sectors” like public safety, transportation logistics, and public utilities, these are traditionally occupations and fields with family sustaining wages, benefits, and even pensions. In 2020, full time working women earned 82 cents2 for every dollar a man made. Over a lifetime, this amounts to over half a million dollars that women cannot access or use to move into the security that comes with real wealth attainment, through home ownership or a debt-free life.
WRTP | BIG STEP coordinated the the Women in the Trades Career Fair to expose interested candidates to the apprenticeship model and the family-sustaining careers within the construction industry to help address the labor shortage expected due to retirements and the shrinking workforce pool.
During the career fair, attendees will explore the building trades through employer and union apprenticeship tables/booth with organization information, employment opportunities, and sign-up for interviews. (4) $100 gift card giveaways drawn for attendees who visit each booth and submit their completed participation forms. Pre-registration is recommended to receive employer information before and after the career fair. Pre-register online here:
https://bit.ly/3x1V8zm or Register in person during the event.
Women in the Trades Career Fair sponsors include; Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 13, Carpenters Local 314, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local 18, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 159, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC 7, Iron Workers Local Union Local 383, Construction Laborers Local 464, Plumbers Local 75, Steamfitters Local 601, Harker Heating & Cooling Inc, Parisi Construction Co., Inc, H.J. Martin and Son, Walbec Group, MIDWEST DRILLED FOUNDATIONS & EGINEERING, INC., Fahrner Asphalt Sealers, LLC, RG Huston Co., Inc., All Comfort Services, InterCon Construction, and Vogel Bros Building Co.
ABOUT WRTP/BIG STEP
WRTP/BIG STEP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce intermediary dedicated to connecting people to family-sustaining jobs. Our mission is to enhance the ability of public and private sector organizations to recruit, develop, and retain a more diverse, qualified workforce in construction, manufacturing and emerging sectors of the regional economy.