idealist.org

The Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) Program is a collaborative workforce development initiative of The YWCA National Capital Area, the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO and Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW). The program provides 12 weeks of pre-vocational, pre-apprenticeship training for high wage jobs in trades such as construction. Since there are fewer than 25 percent of women in these occupations, they are referred to as ‘non-traditional’. The program is free of charge and in addition to hands-on trade skills instruction, includes life skills, context-based Adult Basic Education, financial literacy, physical conditioning, workplace behavior skills, computer training, job search procedures and up to 18 months of job retention and case management services. Participants go on to entry-level jobs in non-traditional employment, employer-sponsored training or union apprenticeship programs.