Women in the Trades

Share With:

Many people only see non-traditional occupations as a woman’s issue. However, a non-traditional occupation is defined as any occupation with less than 25% representation of a gender. This can apply to men and women. The trades, law enforcement, engineering and computer programming are included on a long list of occupations where women constitute less than a quarter of the workforce. Teaching, hospitality and administrative fields lack male presence and can also be considered non-traditional occupations.

Women all over the world have joined together in their love of the trades to create organizations and non-profits to support and build women in the trades. Personally, I’ve started Texas Women in Trades (TWIT) an organization geared at recruiting young people, women and minorities into the trades. Colleges and the military have done a phenomenal job of promoting their career paths with clever marketing and excessive recruiting efforts. TWIT will take a page from their book and remarket the trades as the lucrative and fulfilling career path that is has been for so many of us. Check out the facebook page at www.facebook.com/TexasWomenInTrades?ref=profile.

If you are interested in pursuing a non-traditional occupation, check online for an organization within your area.

Like any occupation, there are pros and cons to the industry.

Pros of a non-traditional industry include, but are not limited to:

Pay: In non-traditional occupations, the minority gender can make from 20-30% more than in a traditional occupation.

Benefits: Employment packages include some of the best insurance coverage plans in the nation, as an enticement for quality employees.

Personal Happiness: The 6% of women that make up the percentage of ladies in non-traditional occupations express supreme happiness with their occupational choice.

Mostly, they chose their profession off of their own personal interests and skills. Also, the sense of contributing to your family’s finances gives women a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Adversely, there can be a negative side to non-traditional occupations, such as:

Friends and Family: Your support group may not understand your decision. If they are not as excited about it as you are, do not feel discouraged. They have been programmed by society to pre-judge.

Isolation: As a minority in your field, a sense of “isolation” or “not fitting in” is very common. However, you are not alone. There are many organizations and groups of women to support and provide guidance.

Greater risk for sexual harassment: Fortunately, we live in country with strong sexual harassment laws to protect us.

Hopefully, you understand non-traditional occupations a bit better, realizing men and women experience this phenomenon. –

See more at: http://www.mrplumbersa.com/gender-roles-and-non-traditional-occupations/#sthash.fGNrDw18.dpuf

Join the conversation: