In 2014, Chicago Women in Trades in partnership with the Alphawood Foundation, piloted a unique strategy for delivering workplace readiness instruction to aspiring tradeswomen, a Book Club facilitated by Literature for All of Us. Most workplace readiness curriculum falls short, communicating what success looks like in the industry, but not necessarily helping participants internalize the belief that they are capable of and supported in meeting those expectations. Literature f

A Distribution List allows you to send multiple emails using one group email rather than using individual emails. You can create a Distribution List in Microsoft Outlook by following instructions at the end of this article. Below is some useful information to assist you. Why Should You Use An Email Distribution List? To save time. Instead of selecting the names of multiple Sisters when you want to send an email, you just select the name assigned to the distribution list. To s

While telephone calls and emails may have been the traditional methods of communicating with Sisters, technology has evolved to include methods like social media and video calls. This so-called “new technology” is now viewed as traditional. So if you want to get in touch and stay in touch with Sisters, determine the communication methods they use and make this the traditional method for you and your committee. This article contains suggestions on communicating with Sisters wh

If you want your SIB Committee to grow and become stronger for generations to come, get involved and stay involved with organizations that help young girls. Why? Because young girls will become young women who can become UBC members. All this can happen if young girls see females working in construction. This article contains several ways to help the Sisters in your SIB committees engage in the kind of volunteer activities to make that happen. This document also answers sever

Tradeswomen conferences provide an opportunity to increase awareness about your committee. You can share information about your committee and highlight your activities. Bottom line: You can let women know what you do for others, as well as what you can do for them. Your presence at conferences can have positive results in a lot of areas: More women might attend your meetings More women might become involved with your committee Your committee might become more successful Use t

Your Sisters in the Brotherhood committee may want to get involved with community projects or other types of organizations. Below are a few to consider: nationalbreastcancer.org foundationforwomenscancer.org sistersnetworkinc.org komen.org diabetes.org alz.org (Alzheimer’s Organization) wish.org (Make a Wish Organization) aca.org (American Correctional Association: Girl’s Youth Correctional Facilities) habitat.org bigbrothersbigsisters.org nawic.org (National Association

Supporting women in pre-apprenticeship programs is one way your SIB committee can directly impact the growth of your committee and the growth of the UBC. This document contains some ways your committee can offer support to pre-apprentices. It also contains some benefits to your committee Sisters. General Approach Establish connections with key individuals at Training Centers Have the SIB Chair, alone or with other Sisters, meet the coordinator/director of the pre-apprenticesh

Job Corps is the nation's largest career technical training and education program for students ages 16 through 24. Students will typically be matched with centers close to their hometown. In some cases, students live at home and commute each day to their center. For more than 40 years, the UBC has contracted with the federal government to provide Job Corps students hands-on training in entry-level carpentry skills and essential construction procedures. We now operate 60 progr

The key to gaining support is planning and organizing. Start the process early to give potential sponsors ample time for approvals and budgeting. When approaching your local, council, or contractor, remember that what you offer in exchange for the funding is going to be an important factor in getting a positive response. A clear funding request can tilt the balance in your favor. Groups/Organizations to Send Funding Requests Consider making requests to the following: Local un

Identify what Regional Councils, Locals, and JATC can help with. Before you approach these leadership groups, you should know what you need. You should also know whether these groups can provide you with what you need. Some areas where you might have needs include: Marketing Meetings/Mailings Events Recruitment/Retention initiatives (e.g., help with Open House) Staff assistance from Regional Council, Local, or JATC Educate the Regional Councils, Locals, and JATC. While you ma