Hi all! Sorry if this is not allowed.

There is a pre-apprenticeship program in Oregon called Oregon Tradeswomen. It’s a non-profit that helps women and gender minorities get a head-start to a career in the trades. Unfortunately, someone broke into their facility and stole 20k worth of tools essential for the program. This is 2 weeks before their next cohort is supposed to start.

This program has changed hundreds if not THOUSANDS of people’s lives, including my own. Below I have linked their LinkTree where you can read about what has happened, and see their wishlist and also an area to donate. Every penny counts.

Even just reading about it helps! If you’re unable to donate sharing it is also SOOOO helpful!! This is a HUGE blow and I thought I could call upon some badass women in this sub to support the program.

Thank you for reading 🙏

https://linktr.ee/OregonTradeswomen?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=8f3d20df-1ccf-4ec7-b265-

I’ve been doing a lot of research on becoming an electrician. My plan would be to go the union route and apprentice, but I want to know if I even would like the job before committing to an apprenticeship. Is it possible to shadow someone for a day just to see what it’s like? Is that totally unheard of, or a reasonable thing for me to call shops and ask about? How would I go about doing this?

I just want to make sure I’m making the right career decision. I don’t want to jump into something I’m not sure about, as I would have to quit my jobs to start apprenticing.

I was trying to avoid it but my team is on a tight deadline. What are the best precautions I can take to avoid inhaling the smoke?

Was wondering where I could get some cooler / cuter safety glasses?

With my hair tied back, my hardhat on, and these dorky glasses, all I can see is my dad lol. Which is fine!! Love him! I just have the standard wrap around sunglasses that safety handed out and I’ve seen other people with some cooler looking ones, I tried looking on Amazon but keep finding the same style like I have. Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for some different styles. Thank you!

hey there i am a 21(f) and i’m thinking about going into an electrical apprenticeship. i used to work as a nurses aid and loved that there was always something to do but i hated the environment. i couldn’t joke around or really have fun with my coworkers like i do now (i’m currently working at a powersports store). school is so expensive and i honestly don’t get the best of grades. i’m in so much debt and you need amazing grades in order to get into the final program which i’m thinking i probably won’t get accepted into because of my grades. ive been around blue collar workers my whole life and have loved the environment. my uncle is saying to go for it since he’s an electrician and he thinks i’d really enjoy it and i do too. i’m not sure if i want to disappoint my dad and close the book on school but i don’t wanna pour my heart, soul, and all my money into something i might not even get accepted into in the end and waste my time and money. i have a few things i have questions about: what’s the environment like for a woman, what does the day in the life look like, what is the hardest thing about it, and do you ever regret it?

I'm 62 years old and still work as a landscaper, after 38 years in the landscaping/nursery industry. But I'm finding it quite difficult to carry on even though I still love my job, working outdoors, and being self-employed. Even half a day of normal work leaves me very tired and sore, and I don't seem to recover overnight like I used to. I'm losing the ability to lift heavy weights. I know I need to make a transition, but having a difficult time leaving my work behind, and I still need to make a living.

I would love to hear stories from those who have transitioned out of jobs that are physically demanding. How do you make a living now? or do you have enough to live on without work? Are you happy in a new or modified job? What would you do differently?

Im starting welding school soon and i need basically everything on this list. I'm really short at around 5'1 and i have really small hands so a lot of stuff (especially gloves) dont fit me. I also wear size 5 womens shoes. I would really appreciate advice or specific products and stores. i would also appreciate stores that offer custom equipment.

https://preview.redd.it/4rzdggn65yxd1.jpg?width=4320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52505cd941934520b8fd397d263ba9262b418942

Hi. I'm sure you see a lot of these, but although I searched posts I didn't really find the answer I need.

I normally wear a youth 4 in shoes and have never yet found a women's shoe that fit comfortably. I'm looking for composite toe preferably and EH and for some reason they don't make much in the way of children's safety boots. 🤔

I've tried on a womens 5.5 redwing king toe and found it loose in the heel and mid. Also the heel feels too low? Like lower than the toe area?

I tried a Merrell 5 and it just felt wrong.

I tried a Keen 5 and found it still a little narrow in the toe area, but it was the best I've tried so far. I might try a 5.5 and see how that feels.

I see that Carolina actually makes a mens size 4 met guard boot, though I don't need met guards. From what I understand youth and men's boots are shaped much the same.

Does anyone have any suggestions for something that small that's not shaped like a women's boot? Preferably something with a return policy if it doesn't fit.

Hi I’m 21 and I’m thinking about going to trade school to become an electrician and I want to ask the women in this field about their experience

• Did you start off going to trade school or did you take another route?

• Is this career something you’ll continue in the future? If not, why?

• Is there any room to move up?

• Was studying hard? (I did see some videos about math being the main used subject and idkkk)

If I have any more questions, I’ll edit this

Please respond with the help :)

Thank youuu!

I work in staging (rigging specifically now), and I’ve been in the industry for just over 10 years.

Today, a woman I worked with died of a stroke. I’m 47, I’m not sure how old she was but she was younger than me. She is the tenth death in as many years. Two died on the job but all were natural causes.

Is this abnormal in a labor job?

Hay ladies. Just curious, do any of you feel like being a women helped to get you into what ever trade you guys are working in right now? Like because we are a minority in a “male” industry and they are trying to bring more of us in, how has this helped you guys get your foot in the door to what you’re doing now? If you feel like being a woman did not aid in getting you into your field, then I’m also curious what you believe got you there.

FYI I have people telling me that being a woman helped me get into the electrical apprenticeship I have. To join I had to take and pass an aptitude test, then get a score for my interview, then wait on a ranking list that I was placed on based on the combined score I got from my test and interview. People were able to be placed in front of me on the list as I waited and my number got pushed back. I was lucky enough for them to pull in just the right mount of people to call on my number after a year and a half of waiting. I kept hoping being woman would have helped me to get in like people told me it would, however there was never any indication that I somehow had this as an advantage to being awarded this apprenticeship. I would like to think that I got this on merit and from my own hard work and dedication to get in, and not merely because I have I’m a chick who they put into this position to even some odds.

So just curious, what advantages being a woman has on the trades cuz i personally don’t believe I got any kind of leg up due to my gender.

Hey y’all, so I’ve been on my job since the start of the year. First one out of the hall since they took me in as an apprentice. This was a really big one — new conveyor install at a brand new fulfillment center. My first day there must’ve been 150 of us and between then and I’d say the peak back in August we had upwards of 200 if not a little more.

From the start there had been a handful, probably 20-30, of women on the job which was really surprising to me and quite nice. Even if I didn’t get to know them or work with them there was acknowledgment of one another.

Towards what I thought would be the end of the job for me as layoffs started rolling in, a friend out of my hall got laid off, which was disappointing. This was exacerbated by the fact that seemingly all the people from my local, apprentices included, were being laid off or moved to other jobs. I eventually ended up being shuffled to another girls crew who was a friend and my foreman. We were really close and as numbers dwindled we were still left and told we’d be together to the end of the job along with our other friend.

Her and I were the last women left for weeks until she out of the blue got laid off as well. And for the past couple weeks I’ve been one of maybe 10 guys left and the only woman.

I can’t complain about steady work and pay but it has certainly been disheartening to feel almost left in the dark. I get along with all the guys here, some of them very well, and they’re all very kind and inclusive. But it’s been tough not being around other women on site, and being one of so few people left to begin with.

Not really sure where I’m going with this but hopefully the next job I don’t experience the same sort of loneliness I’m feeling now and surely others can relate. Maybe tips on how to get through it could help. I try to regularly see other girls I know in my local outside of the job, or just see friends more frequently especially as we get into winter. But almost 60 hours a week spent here (more with commuting) has been so solitary.

This was just on the local news, no personal experience wearing it.

Workwear by women, for women.

Still off the shelf sizes with some hemming, not totally custom.

But the size charts are clear and the return policy looks decent.

https://thedirtyseahorse.com/

Hi, I am an 18 year old girl about to be 19. I tried college and I noticed it wasn't for me and I dropped out. Right now I am working minimum wage to save up for a car. I have discussed to my parents about going into trades but they are a little hesitant of me doing so because they believe I don't have the physical capacity to do so. I am 5 foot and the only experience I have had in construction is helping my dad mix cement and smoothing it out. I want to get into trades without schooling. I've seen many companies who provides training. Is it possible for me to thrive in a trade job? Thanks.

Hello my lovely wom*en,

let's start with the success story: I had been a long-time lurker on this sub, tiptoeing around the idea of getting into the trades, hesitating a lot. And then I took the plunge - and was lucky: four weeks ago, I started a one-year carpentry apprenticeship - and I AM LOVING IT SO MUCH. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me. This subreddit was absolutely crucial as inspiration and kick in the butt.

So: yup, follow that gut feeling. You are not too old (I am 41), you know exactly what you are passionate about, and yes, there are things that make time just fly, making you forget to eat and wanting to continue every day when it's actually time to go home. I know that I'm in the honeymoon phase - but something for me has just clicked here.

Anyhow: It's only a one-year training and I know that I will need to qualify further after that. So already, I want to look at options - both to do internships and further courses. The apprenticeship is already a bit specialised - basically, I'm am mostly trained at working on industrial machines, used in the furniture industry. What I love most is: having to be precise, having problems to solve immediately, doing the various production steps, one after the other, studying technical drawings and smelling the wood - I just love the entire process. And now comes the BUT: I can see that a lot of the things I am doing can be done so much faster with a CNC. And as much as I like technology - I mean, I am not handsawing shit either - I don't want to become a CNC operator. Or let's say: CNC could be part of my job, but I still want to do all the things above. And here comes the question: Which area of carpentry will most likely need "human carpenters", even in the future?

I can see that the mass production furniture industry will become completely automatised (if it isn't already so). There will be, probably, a market for high-end indiviudal furniture pieces - but the market is so small - and I am not really interested in making luxury goods. I just like constructing and building "things" - best, if it's a bit complicated and involves finding solutions. I would love e.g. to build the "inside" for a van or a boat.

So, hit me up with any ideas - the crazier, the better!

Many thanks!

Edit: Thank you so much for all of the input! I have ordered a pager. Truly appreciate everyone's recommendations. I also purchased a cheap alarm clock, so I'm not stressed out about missing his pickup times.

We have a job going on for a high level military installation that has very strict rules. No devices with Bluetooth or USB ports is one of them, including smart watches, and another is that we have to have escorts at all times.

My husband and I work for the same outfit and would both be on site, and my ex, who is my kids other emergency contact, is on site with another company. My kid is school age, and with the climate of things today, him not being able to be in contact with all three of us in case of an emergency sends me into a spiral.

None of the men I work with are sole caretakers, they all have a wife/girlfriend/baby mama to take care of their kids. I have no family here, and very minimal friends that are at an emergency contact type level. My son's bio dad isn't in the mix. It was just my son and I for a long time. The guys say 'well he can call your boss and then your boss can call the super and the super can tell your escort and the escort can tell you and bring you to your phone'. Because that is the phone tree I want if there is a time sensitive issue. In the beginning of the summer I told my boss about my concerns and I wasn't assigned to this site. Though we have lost a lot of our staff since then.

I need money, but I'm in a place where I can turn down this job and go to another site, though wages are less. What would you do in this situation? Am I being overdramatic? I couldn't find a plain old watch to set an alarm to pick him up which aggravated my anxiety, too.

Also adding for more background context. I do work on base regularly, just not this building, and most of my jobs are minimal contact because of cell service (utilidors, x-ray rooms, concrete structures). It's mainly the fact that I won't be able to blip in and out throughout the day, just the three main breaks. I've had emergencies with my son in the past, and there was a lockdown at his school recently due to outside factors.

I try not to post too many times. But it just killing me not working and not know when I will be again. I got laid off in August and didn’t imagine it to be almost November and still nothing. Trying to stay positive but it’s hard.

Also applied for other jobs in the meantime and nothing. I just feel like giving up and I really felt like I was doing something with my life. Right now I’m just waiting on work to pick back up. Probably have to repeat my 3rd again like I did my 1st year.

Secretly jealous of all ya who have work and that are doing well. I just wish I was too.

So just FYI if you ever accidentally drop a can of paint and its busts all over the clean floor because your didn't know the other end of the box was open like some of us. You can get a dustpan with tin foil or plastic wrap and use a gloved hand to scoop it up and pour it back in 🤣

Also if you accidentally stain the walls red or blue or any color really cause you were cleaning them with 409 and a colored rag, you can use hand sanitizer and a tan or light rag to get those stains off 🤣

You might even maybe throw away your batteries, may I suggest electrical tape to cover your ends. Some of us have accidentally maybe caused small potential problems. 🤫

Anyone else learn anything fun on their job sites ?

This is the second time I’ve done this recently. After driving home from work, I go to parallel park by my apartment. When I go to put the car in reverse, I just put on my turn signal cause my stupid brain still thought I was in a forklift.

Please tell me I’m not the only one.

I’ve been googling this topic and reading reddit posts for over a month and figured I’d just ask.

I’m 38 and have bounced around in different jobs since forever. I have a 2 year old now and I’m at the point of just wanting a steady job with decent money.

I love the idea of learning a skill and getting really good at something and potentially growing with that company or within the field. I’ve considered an HVAC tech, controls tech, electrician, etc.

I’d love to be making 75k within 2 years.

I was kind of thinking of a position that could lead into office work so I don’t have to be 65 and changing out heavy equipment.

Any insight on a decent trade to look into for this or certifications to consider would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! I’m a 19 (f) and I was looking to become an electrician.

So I’ve went to college that gave me a course with basic understanding of electronic components like resistors, transistors, multimeters, etc. so that made me want to get into becoming an electrician.

I got into a program ran by the IBEW in Ontario too so that will give me more knowledge/experience.

I’m more leaning towards the industrial side, I heard they make more and it seems more interesting to me.

Is anyone here an industrial electrician here that can give me some advice and let me know what it’s like?

Thanks!

My local hospital is offering an apprenticeship in construction for multiple positions. They're encouraging both men and women to apply so maybe I'll have a chance. I emailed them to get some more information so I'm just waiting to hear back

I'm thinking of going into painting. It sounds easy enough and I'm pretty tall so I'd be able to reach ceilings and whatnot.

Other positions they mentioned in the letter they mailed to my house:

carpenter, electrician, sheet metal workers, plumbers and pipe fitters, laborers, tile setters, dry wall finishers, operating engineers, roofers, iron workers, masons, and glazer

I'd love to hear from any woman who has worked in those positions as well! (though electrician and roofer are a definite no for me. I'm afraid of heights and I don't want to work with electricity)

Dear community , I’d like to start with a gratitude expression towards all the support and you give me. You have been very generous and helpful. So here I am , coming to you with another new development in my journey. For background purposes : I am a female , 33 who recently went back to trade school for carpentry / construction ( something I’m falling in love with continuously). I’m my teacher is 66 , he was already in retirement , was called in as a favour to the school because they needed desperately a teacher. He doesn’t care about a certain group in the class. Basically is your are here to learn he won’t give a flying fuck about you. We are 40% of the class that has no prior experience in the industry. And he doesn’t like us. Plus he really don’t like women. So far all is good. Except I am here to learn and I am not learning , because of the teacher. Other students are stepping up and helping us by actually explaining to us ( they mainly already work in the industry and have had their own companies for 20-30 years already ). Which didn’t seem to be a long term solution and I definitely wasn’t feeling confident about the way things are going. I’ve passed all exams. But again I don’t feel I am learning much and the gap between the two groups on class doesn’t help. Also heard a couple calling me and the others who don’t understand stupid , and idiots. We got a visit from the counselling and they encouraged us to talk to them if we express difficulties understanding. So I did. She suggested to talk to the teacher and ask him where do I fit in the dynamic and that’s it’s all in my head. Asked the teacher and he said I was medium. I mean .. sigh Anyways , I got sick the next week , was unable to show up and let my classmates inform the teacher , had 3 people telling him .( he told us to not send him an email he doesn’t use it and he probably will never see it , so the system is to tell someone to tell him ). Anyways the next day I get a call from administration and it goes like this : “We are worried about you , your teacher , your classmates are worried and the teacher told us that you haven’t informed him about your absence and that he believes you’ve left because you are having difficulties. Shall we update your status to such.. I have a scholarship , leaving the program would stop my only current income. I haven’t expressed any of this and all three students have confirmed he knows and they told him I am ill. I got the vibe he was trying to get me kicked out of the program. I am worried and not feeling safe at all. I’ve been going through a lot of hazing and unease during this program. My spirit is broken. And I can’t even trust administration. How can I navigate such environments ? I only have 4 months left. How do I deal with the teacher. How can make a misogynistic, sexist , racist ignorant man like me and do his job and teach us all ? I’m exhausted and I’m having a lot of anxiety about going in tomorrow. Please any advice would be appreciated.

So I do concrete formwork and with winter coming I’m trying to find ways to stay warm in the mornings when it’s SUPER cold. What tips/tricks/items do you guys use to keep yourself warm? Also is it worth it to get hand warmers to throw in my gloves or should I get rechargeable hand warmers?

I just started my first job as a mechanic working on Boeing aircraft. It's pretty busy in the hangar but I'm fresh out of A&P school and have no idea what to do.

First part of the day was great. Dudes showed me a bunch of stuff and let me follow them around for several tasks. After lunch, there wasn't much else for me to do and I was more of a burden to the guys so I just started reading the manual.

A couple of the guys said "you'll get what you put into it" but I'm not exactly sure how to "put more into it" without being annoying and overbearing. I told some people, "hey, let me know if there's some things you could show me or things I can do." And then I went to the computer to read the manual on what we're supposed to be doing.

I can't just jump into something bc I don't know what I'm doing, and mistakes are very expensive. In school, we didn't work on big ole commercial airliners. The cockpit of a Boeing 777 is waaay crazier than the old 1975 Cessna 150 I learned on, and the little PT6 on a stand was way different too.

How do I approach this in the best way? How do I get myself more involved? Do I just leave the ball in their court or take initiative? If so, how else can I take initiative?

I just don’t get it I’m an apprentice first year idk what the career description would be in English but it’s a mix of welding iron work smithing and construction related to metal. Anyways we need to carry and move a lot of metal and heavy tools and some of the older guys especially when I offer help insist on doing it alone and almost Breaking their fucking backs and for what ??? Often times a suggest how we can make it easier or maybe we can try using lighter tools first and see if that works (less to carry is always better imo) and they joke and say like well welcome to the trades women or we do it the tough way. Just plain fucking stupid. Sorry I don’t wanna be bed ridden by 40 😐 why make your life so much harder to prove what?

I just want to rant because I'm annoyed, and I'm annoyed that I'm annoyed. So at my new job (been here about a month and a half) I have one coworker who we'll call Zach. Shortly after I first started he told me that there's an employee there who thinks women belong in the kitchen and should devout their life to their husband and should never do factory work. He wouldn't tell me who said it and I'm still not sure why he told me, although now I'm pretty sure that's his own opinion. Whatever, I ignored it because I really don't care. A few days later he asked me "Is all you do is bitch?" And I said "I could ask you the same thing." But again, I ignored it because he doesn't sign my check so he can kiss my ass for all I care. We'll fast forward to 2 days ago, it's shift change so 1st is still there and us second shift is arriving to the control room. Zach clocks in early and goes outside to do something, so I sit where he was sitting. He comes back in and yells "get out of my chair. Get out of my fucking chair!" So I get up because I didn't wanna deal with it. Me and my other coworker we'll call Charlie make eye contact and he looks like he's about to snap. Zach then says "I was just joking" and laughed. After 1st left and Zach went back outside, Charlie told me he knows he wasn't joking and he only said he was because there's a guy on 1st who will go to HR for anything and everything. He also told me I remind him of his younger sister so he wanted to look out for me which I super appreciate. Zach came back in and threw his hard hat across the room (almost hitting me with it) and I asked "The fuck is your problem?" He said he fell on his shoulder again and hurt it (he has a torn rotator cuff). Because yeah throwing something is gonna help it feel better. Zach has anger issues, we've had to stop him before because he didn't like how an email was worded so he was gonna go give the foreman a piece of his mind, which he'd get walked out for. I guess I should mention too that Zach won't admit it but my shift believes he's an alcoholic, or at least close to it. He came in a week ago almost bragging that he got so drunk he woke up choking on his own vomit and fell off his bed onto his bad shoulder. So I tread lightly because it's starting to seem like his anger at work is withdrawls, which I'm not judging him for because we each have our own battles. My dad works at the same place I do and after this last incident we decided it would be best if I started writing down the date and time and what he says just because we don't know if it's going to escalate into more. He says wait til my 90 days are up (assuming nothing much worse happens) and go to the Union, as I can't officially join the Union until my probationary period is done, but do not go to HR because they will flip it onto me. Sorry this is basically a novel I'm just annoyed because there's no reason for someone to act so childish.

Well…I stood up for myself. I got mad and I got loud.

He came up to my station yesterday asking if I was excited for homecoming. (We’re all in high school by the way) I didn’t respond knowing he was being an ass. He continued to pick and pick and pick.

I just exploded. My instructor walked in at that moment with the principal in tow, with potential donators (they donate to our class if they see we’re working hard and have potential)

I just went the fuck off. I described how fucked up his chin and jaw look. I went off about how skinny and nasty his facial hair looked. You should have seen the way his shitty grin dropped. I cursed like I never have before. And I never curse. I’m quiet. But I wasn’t yesterday.

And my timing was terrible. Everyone was just silent as I was yelling and looking at me like I was crazy. I don’t care honestly because I know I’m not crazy. I’m fucking tired of the rape jokes and the sexual harassment.

I was promptly pulled out of class and suspended for foul language.

I’m suspended for a week. I don’t give a fuck.

Thought I’d give you guys an update in case you were ever wondering if I came out of my shell and stood up for myself. 🤷🏼‍♀️