We Educate, Promote and Celebrate.
We Facilitate Access for Women in the Skilled Trades.
Who We Are...
The Washington Women in Trades Association was founded in 1978 by and for women working in the trades to gather and share information.
Membership
The Washington Women in Trades Association meets monthly on second Thursdays at 5:30pm in the downtown area. The meeting includes planning events, networking, sharing a meal and enjoying each other’s company.
For more information, leave a message at 206.905.9508 or e-mail cpollyc@comcast.net
What We Do...
Washington Women in Trades work matters, not just to the individual women, but to our whole community.
Washington Women in Trades (WWIT) is a community based, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to improve women's economic equity and self-sufficiency through access and success in high-wage, high-skilled careers in the construction, manufacturing and transportation sector.
We are so proud and excited to be celebrating our 30th year! This all-volunteer organization has established itself as a group of industry experts who facilitate connections between the working woman, the ‘wanting-to-be-working’ woman, prospective employers and government agencies. We have educated students about women in non-traditional trades through attendance at school career days, participation in community events and conferences. We have encouraged networking, established scholarships and counseled women through difficult work issues. Through hard work and partnership, we have had much success. While we enjoy celebrating that success, we have much more to do toward helping women both attain and retain high-wage, high-skilled careers. Unfortunately, the percentage of women in the construction trades is still dismal, and the need for trained workers is becoming nearly epidemic. We continue to strive toward equal opportunity and a strong community infrastructure.
Our most publicly visible project is the Washington Women In Trades Career Fair held every spring at Seattle Center. (2009 date: Friday, March 27) Essentially an educational tool to introduce young women and the general public to the trades, our 2008 event hosted over 80 exhibitors and had an attendance of approximately 1500 students and work-ready women. The fair features apprenticeship and resource information, hands-on demonstrations, workshops and career opportunities. The fair was recently dubbed “The Super Bowl of Northwest Career Fairs”!
2008 was a busy and wonderful year for Washington Women in Trades. Our 2nd Annual Dream Big Dinner, an awards banquet and all round celebration of Tradeswomen was held at the Lake City Elks Club on Saturday, November 8. We honored eight deserving women, one even from Spokane!
Also, with the help of some enthusiastic “calendar girls”, we produced our 2nd Annual Calendar, Painting The Portrait, a celebration of the past, present and future tradeswoman.
Other events of note?
WWIT participated in The Northwest Women’s Show where we made connections with a vast variety of women, we co-produced a Women’s History Month Forum at the Museum of History & Industry, which featured the 2008 Rosie Calendar Girls and we played a major role in the 1st Annual King County Construction Career Days event held at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
Finally, in an effort to support female apprentices and others who are new to the skilled trades occupations, WWIT created a women’s work clothes clearinghouse called “Rosie’s Closet”. It’s a way for anyone (men or women) interested in donating lightly used work clothing to be used by someone interested in walking in a similar career path.
And as always, we continue to honor and support our foremothers, the legendary WWII Rosie the Riveters.
JOIN US!
We Facilitate Access for Women in the Skilled Trades.
Who We Are...
The Washington Women in Trades Association was founded in 1978 by and for women working in the trades to gather and share information.
Membership
The Washington Women in Trades Association meets monthly on second Thursdays at 5:30pm in the downtown area. The meeting includes planning events, networking, sharing a meal and enjoying each other’s company.
For more information, leave a message at 206.905.9508 or e-mail cpollyc@comcast.net
What We Do...
Washington Women in Trades work matters, not just to the individual women, but to our whole community.
Washington Women in Trades (WWIT) is a community based, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to improve women's economic equity and self-sufficiency through access and success in high-wage, high-skilled careers in the construction, manufacturing and transportation sector.
We are so proud and excited to be celebrating our 30th year! This all-volunteer organization has established itself as a group of industry experts who facilitate connections between the working woman, the ‘wanting-to-be-working’ woman, prospective employers and government agencies. We have educated students about women in non-traditional trades through attendance at school career days, participation in community events and conferences. We have encouraged networking, established scholarships and counseled women through difficult work issues. Through hard work and partnership, we have had much success. While we enjoy celebrating that success, we have much more to do toward helping women both attain and retain high-wage, high-skilled careers. Unfortunately, the percentage of women in the construction trades is still dismal, and the need for trained workers is becoming nearly epidemic. We continue to strive toward equal opportunity and a strong community infrastructure.
Our most publicly visible project is the Washington Women In Trades Career Fair held every spring at Seattle Center. (2009 date: Friday, March 27) Essentially an educational tool to introduce young women and the general public to the trades, our 2008 event hosted over 80 exhibitors and had an attendance of approximately 1500 students and work-ready women. The fair features apprenticeship and resource information, hands-on demonstrations, workshops and career opportunities. The fair was recently dubbed “The Super Bowl of Northwest Career Fairs”!
2008 was a busy and wonderful year for Washington Women in Trades. Our 2nd Annual Dream Big Dinner, an awards banquet and all round celebration of Tradeswomen was held at the Lake City Elks Club on Saturday, November 8. We honored eight deserving women, one even from Spokane!
Also, with the help of some enthusiastic “calendar girls”, we produced our 2nd Annual Calendar, Painting The Portrait, a celebration of the past, present and future tradeswoman.
Other events of note?
WWIT participated in The Northwest Women’s Show where we made connections with a vast variety of women, we co-produced a Women’s History Month Forum at the Museum of History & Industry, which featured the 2008 Rosie Calendar Girls and we played a major role in the 1st Annual King County Construction Career Days event held at the Enumclaw Expo Center.
Finally, in an effort to support female apprentices and others who are new to the skilled trades occupations, WWIT created a women’s work clothes clearinghouse called “Rosie’s Closet”. It’s a way for anyone (men or women) interested in donating lightly used work clothing to be used by someone interested in walking in a similar career path.
And as always, we continue to honor and support our foremothers, the legendary WWII Rosie the Riveters.
JOIN US!
2008 Dream Big Dinner
from left:
Speaker: Darcy Burner
Lifetime Achievement Awardee:
Betsy Shedd
WWIT Co-Chair: Jo Scherer
WWIT JOB FAIR
Outdoor Exhibits
2008 WWIT Career Fair
Rosie Corner
from left:
Jerri Ingram, Josie Dunn,
Colleen Charles, Margaret Berry,
Peggy Cook, Elna Larson
Present & Future
Tradeswomen
Pam Longshore& Daughter
Stella Belden-Longshore
HOME I ABOUT US | JOB FAIR | JOB BOARDS | AWARDS/DREAM BIG DINNER | MEDIA I MEMBERSHIP I MERCHANDISE I
SPONSORSHIP I ROSIE'S CLOSET
SPONSORSHIP I ROSIE'S CLOSET