New Cohort Completes Union Tradeswomen Training

After four weeks of intensive training at People’s Inclusive Welding in South Portland, the six participants in our Union Tradeswomen Training are meeting with representatives from Maine Metal Trades Unions as they get ready to take their next steps into apprenticeships and other union careers in the metal trades. The Union Tradeswomen Training is a pilot program developed through collaboration between People’s Inclusive Welding and the Maine AFL-CIO’s Union Construction Academy’s pre-apprenticeship program, both of which offer pathways into careers in the trades for workers from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

The Maine AFL-CIO has worked closely with People’s Inclusive Welding in the past to offer pre-apprentices in the Union Construction Academy the opportunity to try welding, as they learn basic skills in a variety of trades so they can make a confident choice about which one they want to pursue. The Union Tradeswomen Training offers a more in-depth welding training for individuals who are already confident they want to pursue opportunities in the metal trades. The welding skills our six participants have developed so far, along with the additional certifications and professional skills they will develop during our last week of training, will prepare them to hit the ground running as they start they start careers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Bath Ironworks, Cives Steel, and various Building and Construction Trades Unions.

Reflecting on her experience with the program so far, one of the participants, Azalea Cormier of Buckfield, commented that “Jo Remillard [lead instructor and founder of People’s Inclusive Welding] has created an environment where learning and collaboration thrive. Working alongside my peers in an environment which has encouraged me to ask questions, share ideas, and learn from others, I have gained not only new friends and skills but also the confidence to pursue opportunities I wouldn’t have even considered before.”

Other students in the program have expressed their excitement at the range of career opportunities they’ve learned about, and the chance to work along side supportive peers and instructors who are eager to help them succeed and get into Union careers that will provide them with a pathway to success and stability. We look forward to expanding and building on the success of the Union Tradeswomen Pilot with future sessions.