Wicked Local
Traditionally the trades such as automotive and plumbing have been male-dominated fields, with women slowly making their way into shops and garages over the decades. This has also been the case at Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, and support for girls in these trades has been bolstered with events like their most recent virtual Massachusetts Girls in Trades conference.
The fourth annual gathering showcased girls in automotive, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, masonry, plumbing, and other male-dominated fields and how female contribution to these shops is not only valuable but critical to the future. Massachusetts Girls in Trades was launched in 2015 by a partnership of educational, governmental, and union organizations with a shared goal of supporting and encouraging female career and technical education students and alumnae to pursue careers in the union building trades, according to its brochure.