In August, I shared with the mechanical-hub.com community that I’d begun an organization, Texas Women in Trades (TWIT) to recruit women, minorities and young people to the trades. Over the past few months, TWIT attracted the attention of some key industry players. San Antonio’s water and energy providers, SAWS and CPS Energy, have expressed interest and provided assistance to this fledgling organization.
TWIT’s creation and implementation as an organization should work to: bring more people to the trades, increase public awareness of trades as a career choice and provide resources for those pursuing an education or training in the trades. Starting a business or organization involves planning, paperwork and sweat. Membership plans are being established and a Board is being assembled to assist in creating and operating a functional organization.
While conducting market research on other recruiting services, I learned that the military spends a whopping 1 billion dollars a year on advertising and marketing to recruit. Private colleges spend about $2200 per student on recruiting students. These industries are spending big money on recruiting high school students BEFORE they graduate. TWIT will appeal to leaders in the industry (manufacturers, vendors, etc…) to collaborate on a Marketing Plan for the trades.
A friend, who works for the Department of Labor, reached out to me and invited me to their offices in San Antonio to learn about how the DOL can assist TWIT. Turns out, there are sixteen statutes to follow for any contractor working with the government. Three of those sixteen refer to equal rights employment and requires businesses to reach out to organizations like TWIT to encourage businesses to provide equal rights employment. The DOL now recommends Texas Women in Trades to contractors who are not in accordance with the statues set forth by the U.S. Government.
Projects / Events Upcoming projects include:
• Video – Creating a video featuring women who work or have worked in the trades. Segments and interviews are in the process of being filmed and developed. Should be complete by mid-March 2014. This video will demonstrate to young ladies that the trades encompass many opportunities for a plethora of professions for all types of skills sets and personality types.
• National Women in Trades – Due to the overwhelming support of Texas Women in Trades, I’ve decided to create a national organization that will bring together women in trades from across the United States. If you are interested in participating in National Women in Trades, please feel free to contact me directly at allie@mrplumber.com
• Women in Trades, Construction and DIY Event – Working in collaboration with women across the country, to put on an event to showcase their talent, skills, creativity and drive.
Fortunately, TWIT is off to a strong start. If you have any interest in membership or mentorship, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at allie@mrplumber.com. Also, please like Texas Women in Trades on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/texaswomenintrades
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