Maria Gonzalez never planned to work with live wires. But after joining Detroit’s Electrical Workers Local 58 apprenticeship in 2022, the 28-year-old single mother now leads commercial installations for automakers. "Union training gave me childcare support during night classes," she says. "Without that, I’d still be stuck in retail."
Maria's journey tells a bigger story that's playing out across the construction industry. Last year, women made up 4.7% of construction apprentices, a 55% jump from 2018, which is genuinely encouraging 1. But we're still facing some stubborn realities: fewer than 3% of plumbers are women, and only about 5% of electricians 2. This report maps the roadmap to equity.
Union apprenticeships drive women’s success with three key advantages:
Completion Rates
37% of women finish union programs vs 23% in nonunion tracks 3. Detroit’s IBEW local credits mentorship pairings with experienced tradeswomen guiding recruits through licensure exams and job site challenges.
Family Support
Many unions now offer:
Two-thirds of tradeswomen consider quitting over daycare logistics. "We’d start at 6AM, but centers opened at 8," says pipefitter Lena Torres. Her Chicago local now partners with a 24-hour facility with dropoffs accepted as early as 5:30 AM 6.
Schools are combating stereotypes through programs like Oregon’s "Girls Build" camps, where teens wire mock homes and earn OSHA certifications. Early results spark hope: 68% of participants later enroll in trade programs 7.
The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Act fuels progress through:
Childcare grants: Subsidizes 40% of daycare costs for apprentices
Anti-bias training: Teaches supervisors to recognize subtle discrimination
Equipment redesign: Funds lighter-weight tools for smaller hands
Since 2015, WANTO helped double female apprenticeship participation. Though women still hold just 14% of trade traineeships 8.
Construction firm Brighter Futures scaled female hires from 4% to 18% using these strategies:
Pre-apprenticeship partnerships: Collab with groups like Chicago Women in Trades
Transparent pay charts: Post wages openly to prevent negotiation bias
"Returnship" programs: Offer refresher courses after parental leave
"Investing in women isn’t charity - it’s solving our labor crisis," says CEO Amita Patel. Her sites now have 22% lower turnover than industry averages.
With 1 million U.S. trade jobs unfilled 9, employers can’t afford exclusion. Three steps will accelerate change:
Mandate state-funded pre-apprenticeships
Expand WANTO to cover transportation costs
Require pregnancy accommodations in all union contracts
As Maria Gonzalez squares up her hardhat, she embodies what’s possible. "My daughter thinks all construction workers are women now," she laughs. "That’s the future we’re building."
