Girls in Trades Event Celebrates Women in Construction Week
Erie 1 BOCES students took part in an event to commemorate Women in Construction Week. Female skilled trades students had the opportunity to visit the John W. Danforth Company, where they engaged in a panel discussion featuring accomplished women in various trades fields and explored the company's facilities.
Skyler Rowell, a student from the PTECH RACE program, said, "Going through the shops, I saw women in the shops. It's inspiring to actually see women in the trades” … “It is such a great community of women who are in the trades, you know that you can rely on them."
Hosted in collaboration with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), the event aimed to empower young women pursuing careers in traditionally male-dominated industries and provide them with valuable insights and networking opportunities.
The highlight of the event was a panel discussion where students heard from women who have excelled in their respective trades.
Marie Patton, Vice President of the NAWIC Buffalo Niagara Chapter, emphasized the importance of building a supportive community for women in construction. "Women who have been in construction for a while, veterans like me, are answering questions about what is offered in the construction world, different issues that we may have faced, and how we've overcome those issues," she shared.
Patton further stressed the significance of networking and utilizing available resources. "I feel like it is very important to start building that network and use the resources that you have available, so if we can have all the girls come in at once and introduce them to those resources then that gives them a leg up," she continued.
The event was covered by WGRZ and Spectrum News Buffalo.