Hard Hatted Women

Programs: Tradeswomen tools (adult education & leadership development) hhw's programs are designed to break down the barriers that prevent women and girls from pursuing high wage, high skilled careers. The programs that are part of hard hatted women's tradeswomen's tools (training, outreach, opportunity, leadership, and support) leverage the experience of women already working successfully in trade and technical careers to help more women enter these rewarding nontraditional careers. Through leadership development, including the role model speakers bureau, hhw partners with employers to recognize women already working in high wage trade and technical careers and provide professional development to support them to become ambassadors for their career and industry. Role models speakers lead presentations and hands on activities with both girls and boys that introduce children to high demand, good paying careers in their community. Hearing from women working in nontraditional careers is key to breaking down gender stereotypes about work and the capabilities of women that exist among both boys and girls. While operating as an all-volunteer organization in 2014 hhw's primary focus has been reorganization with a focus on establishing new forms of collaboration to support the long-term sustainability of tradeswomen tools programming. Volunteers have managed the hhw phone line and provided referrals to women who call seeking information on tradeswomen tools and other support to pursue high wage career options, and have posted job or educational opportunities to the hhw website that are sent to hhw by employers or education programs seeking qualified women candidates.

many industries are experiencing or anticipating shortages of skilled workers or have a commitment to increasing diversity in targeted fields. With more than 30 years experience in recruiting and preparing women for trade and technical careers, hhw is often called upon as a resource to help employers and community leaders meet these challenges. Hhw provides policy input and expertise to a range of government entities and businesses. In lorain county, ohio, hhw has shared its expertise and supported the development and launch of a new initiative focused on helping the working poor, 2/3 of whom are working women, advance into higher wage careers, many of which will be in stem and technical fields (stem = science, technology, engineering and math). This initiative leverages program development led by hhw in partnership with industry to create a curriculum called wise pathways: women in sustainable employment. In cuyahoga county, ohio, hhw continues to provide leadership and subject matter expertise to inclusion and diversity initiatives. Hhw volunteers are leaders in advancing innovative strategies for inclusion in both hiring, career advancement and business contracting in the city of cleveland and the region, as well as provide expertise for innovative programming to engage students, including female students, within the k-12 system to pursue and succeed in careers in construction, manufacturing, energy and other high demand, high wage fields. Hhw continues to reach out to volunteers and supporters to define a sustainable future for the organization.