How do you help women access high-paying, in-demand trades careers? Give them tools to succeed
Nearly a year in the making, Build a Dream, in partnership with WFS Ltd. and Milwaukee Tool, are excited to launch #HerPower Tools, a program designed to encourage young women to pursue a career in the skilled trades.
Build a Dream’s President & Founder, Nour Hachem-Fawaz thought of the idea in 2017, and was hoping to get tools in the hands of all attendees of the organization’s successful career discovery expos (pre-Covid) but the high cost was definitely a factor. So the national non-profit sat down with two amazing partners to determine the best way to make the dream a reality for 100 lucky recipients.
“We want to equip young women with actual tools when they start their trades journey but we also wanted to provide more than just physical tools,” says Hachem-Fawaz. “They’re going to belong to our network and have access to role models, mentors, industry reps wanting to diversify their workforce, and educators that have unique opportunities to share. We’re giving access to the tools and networks to help women thrive in their career journey.”
Young women and gender non-conforming students who apply to the #HerPower Tools program have a chance to win one of 100 tool bags filled with job starter essentials (a $150 value) like a hammer, tape measure, impact driver set, utility knife, and more.
Hachem-Fawaz: “This ties in with Build a Dream’s #HerPower campaign launched earlier this year, encouraging young women to define their own power, use their voice and their platform to achieve any goal they want to.”
The program will run from May 2021 to May 2022. Applicants must submit a brief story of why they are pursuing trades and agree to share their career progress in 3 meetings over the period of 1 year. Build a Dream hopes that by providing support and giving women somewhere to turn when they have questions, more women will not just enter the trades, but they’ll also stay.
“Not only are we going to celebrate access and opportunities for young women to thrive in skilled trades, we are literally playing a role in their journey to ensure that every young woman that enters a trade succeeds.”
Visit the #HerPower Tools program for more information or to apply for one of the 100 tool bags,
