UW School for Workers, WDBSCW Announces New Pre-Apprenticeship Series to Support More Women in Building Construction Trades

MADISON, October 4, 2018 — A building construction trades pre-apprenticeship series geared toward women is now accepting applications for the spring 2019 cohort. Free of cost to 20 qualified women, the 4-week, 44-hour series supported by the UW School for Workers and the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW), is designed to introduce and place women in construction jobs.

The pre-apprenticeship series, Madison Women In Trades, will center around opportunities available in the construction industry as well as create ongoing, coordinated efforts to recruit women into the trades, acknowledging that they can find excellent careers such as electricians, carpenters and heavy equipment operators.

The campaign is led in partnership with the WDBSCW and UW School for Workers, along with support from community partners including the Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin, Madison College, Latino Academy of Workforce Development and Urban League of Greater Madison.

Currently, the construction industry is experiencing a worker shortage. Women compromise just 3% of the industry’s trades workforce, making them a demographic that can help the industry grow. In October, a marketing campaign will launch to recruit women for Madison Women In Trades and promote the trades as a career pathway for women.

“Moving the needle forward concerning women’s participating in building trades occupations will not be done by one non-profit, union, company, government or educational entity. It will be a combined endeavor implementing innovations and leveraging resources,” said Heidi Wagner, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin Department of Labor Education and director of the pre-apprenticeship trades series.

Only 20 spots are available for the series. Women interested in applying or who have questions should contact the UW-Madison School for Workers at 608.265.4923 or visit the series website.

NOTE: The views expressed in this press release are those of the author and not necessarily those of WiSys or the UW System.

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About Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin

The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW) is a private 503(c)(3) nonprofit organization that collaborates with business and workforce in the Wisconsin counties of Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk with a mission to build public and private partnerships that support innovation and excellence in workforce development.

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