Building Women Fair Set for April 16
Building Women Exploration Fair Set for Friday, April 16, at TMCC, Edison
Women interested in careers in construction and related areas are invited to attend the sixth annual Building Women Exploration Fair on Friday, April 16. This year’s event will be at the TMCC/IGT Applied Technology Center at 475 Edison Way in Reno.
Building Women runs from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is presented by the Western Apprenticeship Coordinators Association (WACA) in conjunction with the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, JOIN, Inc., Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada Supply. The event begins at 7:30 a.m. and is not a “drop in” program being as women will be rotating to various stations during the morning.
“We’re proud to again present this special ‘women only’ event that is hands on. Women will mix cement, paint a wall, operate a crane—and more—as they learn how to apply and qualify for free building trade apprenticeship programs,” explained Greg Smith, WACA president. The event is no-smoking, English-speaking and attendees are asked to dress for construction work by wearing pants, no heels or open-toe shoes and very little jewelry, etc.
Registration forms are available online at www.buildingtradejobs.org, at both Reno and Sparks JobConnect offices or by calling 825-6866 in Reno. Pre-registration is requested by Friday, April 2.
Represented at the fair will be carpenters, the City of Reno’s Public Works, electricians, ironworkers, operating engineers, painters & allied crafts, plasterers & cement masons, plumbers & pipefitters, sheet metal workers, NV Energy, Truckee Meadows Water Authority and TMCC’s Automotive and EMT programs.
The trades’ apprenticeship programs are individualized and the requirements vary but all contain these same basic elements: Applicants must be 17-18 years old, have a high school diploma (or equivalent), a valid driver’s license and be physically able to perform assigned tasks. Programs are open to all, males as well as females, minorities, etc. Most demand excellent physical coordination and manual coordination coupled with mental ability, specifically math and analytical skills.
Programs combine on the job training under master craftspersons—while earning salaries that begin at just under $12/hour, minimum— with classroom learning. All apprenticeship programs are free and most include paid college credits through Truckee Meadows Community College.
Apprentice programs run from two to five years and employment is virtually guaranteed at the programs’ conclusion. Building trade work can be seasonal and relocation throughout northern Nevada is a possibility. For more information, visit WACA’s website at www.buildingtradejobs.org
