LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — March is Women's History Month, and Channel 13 is committed to highlighting the people and programs making a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community.
Women continue to represent only a small percentage of the skilled trades labor force in the United States, and it's no different here in Las Vegas.
One local nonprofit is hoping to change that, though, by inspiring the next generation of women to consider a career in a technical occupation.
Find out how they're doing that in the video below
Nevada Women in Trades held their first "Girls Learn About Trades" event at the Historic Westside School on Saturday, giving 12 girls hands-on experience with woodworking, pipefitting, virtual reality technology and a peek behind the scenes of podcasting.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports women hold only around 4% of skilled trades jobs across the country, and Nevada Women in Trades President Evelyn Pacheco says it's even lower in Nevada — closer to just over 2%.
That's why Pacheco says events like these are so important, because getting girls direct experiences with skills and trades could open their eyes to careers they might not have considered before.
Investing in a future
"They might not like everything they did today, which is okay," Pacheco said. "But, what happens in another year from now? What happens if they're sitting and, all of a sudden, that bell goes off and they're like: 'Wow, I've seen that! Wow, I've done that! Wait, she said I can make 100,000 a year?'"
Pacheco hopes to hold many more of the "Girls Learn About Trades" events in the future, to try and expose as many young women as possible to potentially lucrative and fulfilling careers.
For more information on Nevada Women in Trades and to stay up to date on their upcoming events, visit their website by clicking here.
