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Ways Committees Can Support Women in Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

  • Apr 17
  • 2 min read

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

  1. Have the SIB Chair, alone or with other Sisters, meet the coordinator/director of the pre-apprenticeship program. While at the meeting:

    1. Learn dates for pre-apprenticeship programs.

    2. Provide materials about SIB committee meetings and events.

    3. Describe how your SIB committee can help pre-apprentices and the training coordinator/director.


Specific Actions

Maintain ongoing connections with Training Centers

  1. Invite the staff of pre-apprenticeship programs to SIB committee meetings.

  2. Invite the students of pre-apprenticeship programs to SIB committee meetings.

  3. Become guest speakers to the classes of pre-apprenticeship programs.

  4. Host an Open House where:

    1. Sisters can meet graduates from the pre-apprenticeship program.

    2. Pre-apprenticeship students can observe a class in a workshop.

    3. Sisters can test their strength and dexterity against pre-apprenticeship graduates.

    4. Sisters can demonstrate tools of the trade to pre-apprenticeship participants/graduates.

  5. Volunteer to work on community projects with pre-apprenticeship program participants.

  6. Volunteer time at pre-apprenticeship programs to share trade skills with participants.

  7. Offer to provide apprentices with mentors.

  8. Offer to help apprentices find a job after the training.

  9. Offer to help apprentices adjust to the work culture.


Benefits to SIB Committee Members

Gain skills, experience, and visibility

  1. Gain skills and experience (e.g., serve on the advisory committee of a pre-apprenticeship program). Once you become involved, you might be offered an opportunity to serve in a position where you can gain skills and experience.

  2. Gain employment opportunities (e.g., become a full or part-time instructor). Once you become involved, you might be offered an opportunity to assist in areas that have the potential for employment in some training capacity.

  3. Gain additional support from your leadership (e.g., Council leadership recognizes your contributions). If your committee is seen as having value for the Council, Local, or UBC, leadership at these levels may be willing to provide extra support.

  4. Gain additional members for your SIB committee (e.g., some apprentices may become involved with your committee). When pre-apprentices see what you have to offer and how you can help them, they may become active participants in your committee.


Benefits to Pre-Apprenticeship Participants

Have many opportunities

  1. Opportunity to see successful Sisters and hear success stories from Sisters in the UBC.

  2. Opportunity to work with a mentor who can provide the kind of guidance that might increase the mentee’s chance of success.

  3. Opportunity to learn skills on finding and keeping jobs.

  4. Opportunity to gain and improve the kind of interpersonal skills that will help with success on the job.

  5. Opportunity to learn ways to navigate the structure and organization within the UBC.

  6. Opportunity to learn what it takes to stay prepared, physically and mentally, to perform the job.

  7. Opportunity to connect with someone who can provide guidance on the work culture of construction (e.g., start and end times, facilities).

  8. Opportunity to connect with someone who can provide guidance on working in a male-dominated environment.


Adapted from Sisters in the Brotherhood: www.carpenters.org/Sisters



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