Eighty middle and high school girls from the Philadelphia area completed two free summer camps, immersing them in the construction trades.
Hosted by the nonprofit NAWIC Foundation Philadelphia, the six-week camp, Mentoring Young Women in Construction (MyWIC), provided campers with hands-on experience, mentorship and construction education for ages 15 and up.th year south of Philadelphia.
This year, the program has been developed in collaboration with industry companies such as NEST, a national facilities management company located in Sewell, NJ, expanded to include a second location in Northeast Philadelphia.
“Through MyWIC, we’re cultivating America’s next wave of women leaders by immersing them in the construction and skilled trades fields,” said Mary Gaffney, president of the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation. “Women currently make up less than 10% of the construction workforce, but the sector is ripe with career opportunities. At the conclusion of the camp, participants show noticeably greater self-confidence and a stronger sense of their potential.”
The construction industry needs to hire an additional 500,000 workers in 2024 alone to meet labor demands, the Associated Builders and Contractors say. The Wisconsin General Contractors Association is hosting a similar camp for girls in Madison, Wis., for the second year in a row.
Jess Cooper, 16, who lives with her working mother in the Olney neighborhood of North Philadelphia, graduated from MyWIC program at the Xapa Local 19 Workers Training Center on August 8.
“Throughout my life, I have always liked working with my hands; I like to be active and sporty,” says Cooper.
One of his favorite experiences was learning how to wire lights and replace plugs at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) training center 19, he says. He worked with the electrician instructor and apprentices. Cooper says she’s always wanted to be an electrician, but now she’s more educated and has made valuable connections.
“I connected with the apprentices and the principal,” he says.
On August 1, campers spent a day at Citizen’s Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, as part of the Skilled Trades All-Star Program, presented by the Phillies and NEST. During the facility tour, campers learned about stadium operations, including HVAC, grounds maintenance, carpentry, electrical and maintenance, from the Metropolitan Regional Carpenters Council, which serves the Phillies ballpark.
“Supporting the MyWIC field is a cornerstone of NEST’s commitment to fostering diversity in the construction and skilled trades industries,” said Rob Almond, CEO of NEST, in a press release. “Our goal is to show these talented young women the opportunities available and inspire them as future leaders in these fields. We want to elevate the skilled trades as well-paid, honorable and often heroic careers that require a rejuvenated workforce.” .
NEST helped establish the Skilled Trades Advisory Council (STAC) in 2023, which joined industry experts across the country “to promote skilled trades as ‘viable and rewarding career options,'” the press release says.
