A summer camp in Philadelphia is expanding to offer more young women the chance to explore careers in the trades, addressing labour shortages and gender diversity gaps. The camp provides hands-on experience in sheet metal work, carpentry, and electrical work, aiming to inspire participants to consider traditionally male-dominated fields.
Philadelphia Trades Camp Expands to Include More Young Women
A summer camp in Philadelphia is offering young girls an opportunity to explore careers in the trades, addressing both a labor shortage and gender diversity gaps in the industry. The Sheet Metal Workers’ Training Center of Local Union 19 in South Philadelphia is hosting the camp, which has been running for 15 years. This year, the camp will include a second cohort in Northeast Philadelphia due to increasing interest and the desire to reach more participants.
Run by the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation, the camp teaches girls in seventh to twelfth grades various skills through hands-on experience with trades like sheet metal work, carpentry, and electrical work. The camp has grown from 38 participants last year to over 90 this year.
The expansion is timely as the construction industry needs an additional 501,000 workers this year, according to estimates by the Associated Builders and Contractors. Women currently represent a small percentage of the construction workforce, though their numbers have been gradually increasing.
Camp President Mary Gaffney emphasized the importance of exposing young women to trade skills, especially since many local schools do not offer shop classes. Throughout the camp, participants visit trade training centers, local unions, and various job sites around Philadelphia, acquiring both tools and practical knowledge.
Additionally, the camp is supported by industry volunteers and local businesses like NEST, a real estate management company, which donated $5,000 to the program. Efforts to recruit more women into trades have also received federal support, with initiatives like those announced by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Overall, the camp aims to inspire young women to consider careers in construction and trades, providing them with the tools and skills they need to succeed in a traditionally male-dominated field.
