Happy 20% Day.
Today, it’s all about the girls, specifically, Massachusetts Girls in Trades. For the 2019-20 school year, 19.7% of all students enrolled CTE construction-related programs are female. This is no small feat, as the percentage of women in the trades nationwide hovers at 3%.
In Massachusetts CTE schools, more female students are choosing construction-related programs every year. Female participation soars above the 20% female mark in programs like Sheet Metalworking (50%) and Painting and Design Tech (87.6%) for the 2019-20 year. In these so-called “non-traditional” trade programs, women are no longer the minority.
The significant gains toward equity in the CTE schools are due in large part to the work of a Massachusetts Girls in Trades, (MAGIT). MAGIT was launched in 2015 by leaders from Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School, the MA Building Trades, and Encore Boston Harbor. MAGIT now includes over 50 industry partners including unions, contractors and government agencies, and has engaged hundreds of girls from 41 CTE schools statewide with regional conferences, career fairs, and the Equity in Trades Student Leadership Council. Enrollment in construction-related programs at CTE schools increased accordingly, from 15% in 2014 to 19.7% in 2020, essentially meeting our goal of 20% by 2020.
The girls in construction-related programs in our Massachusetts CTE schools are the PIPELINE OF THE FUTURE. With hands-on skills, and interest in the trades, they provide a shovel-ready labor pool; a no-brainer answer to the impending labor shortage when the aging construction workforce retires.
We congratulate MAGIT’s steering committee and advisory committee members and all of the active partners who have invested in the next generation of trade workers.
#20percentby2020 #20percentNOW
About 20% Day
2020 is a benchmark year for the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues. PGTI set a goal of 20% women in the trades by 2020, a high target intended to spur progress, after years of minimal progress under more moderate goals. Throughout this year, we are highlighting programs and projects that have reached, exceeded or increased by 20%.