Women in Trades National Association

Women in Trades National Association
Name	Women in Trades National Association
Founded	2003
Founder	Jane Smith
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Region served	United States, Canada
Membership	12,000 (2025)

Women in Trades National Association

Women in Trades National Association is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to increasing participation of women in skilled trades across North America. The association works with labor unions, vocational institutes, corporations, and government agencies to expand apprenticeship access and career pathways in construction, electrical, plumbing, welding, and transportation sectors. Through training programs, policy advocacy, and community partnerships the group seeks measurable gains in recruitment, retention, and workplace equity for women in trades.

History

Founded in 2003 by Jane Smith, the association emerged amid growing efforts by organizations such as National Women's Law Center, Laborers' International Union of North America, and AFL–CIO constituencies to address gender disparities in vocational occupations. Early collaborations involved pilot apprenticeships with United Brotherhood of Carpenters locals and outreach with City Colleges of Chicago and British Columbia Institute of Technology. The organization expanded during the 2010s alongside initiatives like ApprenticeshipUSA and workforce development grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and partnerships with provincial ministries such as British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education. Influential allies included leaders from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, advocates from Jobs with Justice, and researchers at Urban Institute and Institute for Women's Policy Research. The association opened regional offices in Los Angeles, Toronto, Seattle, and Houston to coordinate with construction employers, community colleges, and nonprofits such as Goodwill Industries International.

Mission and Objectives

The association's stated mission aligns with goals promoted by organizations like National Association of Women in Construction and Tradeswomen, Inc.: to dismantle barriers that limit women's entry and progression in skilled trades. Core objectives reference improving apprenticeship completion rates observed by Bureau of Labor Statistics, increasing representation in apprenticeships tracked by National Apprenticeship Act-era programs, and influencing procurement standards used by entities including General Services Administration and municipal housing authorities. The group sets measurable targets comparable to benchmarks from Catalyst (organization) and Pew Research Center reports on labor participation, emphasizing apprenticeship equity, anti-discrimination enforcement under Equal Employment Opportunity Commission frameworks, and data collection partnerships with academic centers such as Cornell University ILR School.

Membership and Chapters

Membership comprises individuals, union locals, employer partners, and institutional subscribers similar to structures used by American Society of Civil Engineers and National Association of Manufacturers. Local chapters operate in metropolitan areas including New York City, Chicago, Vancouver (British Columbia), San Francisco, and Dallas. Chapters coordinate with trade-specific bodies like Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, International Union of Operating Engineers, United Association (plumbers and pipefitters), and International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. Institutional members include community colleges such as St. Louis Community College, vocational training centers like Helmsley Charitable Trust-supported programs, and major employers such as Skanska USA and Bechtel. The national board has included representatives from Women in Construction Leadership Forum, former officials from National Governors Association workforce committees, and labor educators linked to George Washington University.

Programs and Training

Programmatic efforts mirror models used by Home Builders Institute and Perkins V-funded initiatives: pre-apprenticeship pipelines, mentorship networks, and return-to-work schemes. Training partners include Lincoln Electric Training Center, Associated Builders and Contractors chapters, and municipal workforce development boards like Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. Certification pathways align with standards from OSHA training and credentialing used by National Center for Construction Education and Research. Specialized cohorts address trades such as electrical work, carpentry, HVACR, and heavy equipment operation with curricula co-developed with Community College Consortium partners and union training centers. The association runs mentorship programs inspired by models from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and maintains a database of female journeyperson mentors and contractors drawn from networks including Women Construction Owners & Executives USA.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

Advocacy efforts intersect with campaigns led by National Women's Law Center, labor coalitions like Change to Win, and equity initiatives within procurement influenced by Obama administration workforce directives. Legislative priorities have included expanding apprenticeship funding through amendments to federal workforce legislation resembling proposals in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act reauthorization debates, strengthening anti-discrimination enforcement via Civil Rights Act-related statutes, and promoting project labor agreements featured in municipal ordinances in Seattle and Boston. The association files amicus briefs with organizational allies such as ACLU and lobbies state legislatures and provincial assemblies in Ontario and British Columbia to adopt gender-equity apprenticeship targets similar to targets used by Ontario Ministry of Labour.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Strategic partners include labor organizations like AFL–CIO, employer associations such as Associated General Contractors of America, philanthropic funders including Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation, and research partners like RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution. The association collaborates with municipal agencies—City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services, Los Angeles County workforce boards—and postsecondary institutions like Harper College and George Mason University for program evaluation. International exchanges have involved contacts with Tradeswomen Australia and workforce programs coordinated with United Kingdom Department for Education counterparts.

Impact and Criticism

Reported impacts cite increases in female apprenticeship enrollments documented by partner metrics at Construction Industry Training Board-aligned programs and completion improvements paralleling benchmarks from National Skills Coalition analyses. Graduates have moved into roles at firms such as Mortenson Construction and Turner Construction Company and have been recognized by awards similar to Women in Construction Week honors. Criticism has focused on scalability, reliance on short-term grant funding akin to critiques of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-era pilots, and tensions with some union locals over jurisdictional practices documented in local disputes involving Carpenters' Union branches. Independent evaluators from Urban Institute and MDRC have recommended longer-term funding and stronger employer accountability measures to solidify gains.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States