ALBANY, N.Y. — The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC) has started its annual recruitment of women to establish a career in carpentry, an industry that NASRCC contends is “traditionally overlooked.”
The union cites data from the U.S. Census Bureau that indicates women continue to be underrepresented within the industry nationally and in New York State, though numbers are rising. Across the US, 11.5 percent of construction workers are women, and in New York State, about 11,000 women are employed as construction workers.
The Sisters in the Brotherhood program has launched the carpentry careers of over 150 women across New York since 2015, the NASRCC said.
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To begin the program, NASRCC will hold a virtual information session on April 2 at 6 p.m. for women who are interested in learning more about a career in carpentry. The session will provide an opportunity to learn about the 8-week pre-apprenticeship program that will begin this coming spring at NASRCC training centers across New York State.
It also represents the first step toward a four-year apprenticeship program with the Carpenters’ union.
The pre-apprenticeship program provides women with the chance to gain experience and become skilled, qualified carpenters, “offering them a path to a career with excellent wages, benefits and independence through trade education,” the NASRCC said.
The NASRCC’s pre-apprentice program provides an opportunity for women 17 years or older in New York, outside of the five boroughs of New York City, to find out if carpentry fits their career path. To register for a virtual information session, click here, or visit nasrcc.org/sib to learn more.
“The Sisters-in-the-Brotherhood pre-apprentice program was created to open the doors of opportunity for women who may not have considered a career as a carpenter,” Nicole Grodner, Carpenters Local 290 Council representative and New York chair of the Sisters in the Brotherhood committee, said. “We hope to inform and motivate a new generation of carpenters that reflect our communities, and we look forward to supporting new members as they begin their career as a union carpenter.”
The launch of its annual Sisters in the Brotherhood recruitment program coincides with National Women in Construction Week. It’s part of Women’s History Month that “celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry,” per the NASRCC announcement.
