Our Mission, Goals, & Strategy

Our mission, goals, and strategy include:

• Recruiting and training women in various skills needed to succeed in the construction industry through the RI Women in The Trades (WITT) education programming
• Advocating for initiatives and policies that help and benefit women in the trades
• Promoting healthy worksites so women will want to stay in the field they choose
• Providing resources for women including mentoring, coaching, and child care.
• Encouraging women to celebrate their strength and progress, and to pay it forward by volunteering to mentor and speak to future members
• Supporting youth programs (girls, ages 7-24) on their journey towards STEM careers and future work opportunities in the trades

What barriers and challenges do women in the trades face?

Through lived experience, our board members have identified as access barriers for women in the trades:

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• Lack of outreach and information
• Stereotypes and gender-segregated vocational training
• Limited training and unequal/unfair selection criteria
• Discriminatory hiring practices
• Differentiated on-the-job training, hiring, job, and over-time assignments

What are we doing to address these issues?

We are dedicated to helping women secure well-paying jobs in various trades, while advocating for a fair and level playing field throughout their training and employment journey:

• Creating awareness of opportunities
• Grassroots organizing
• Pre-employment training