The image of women working in the skilled trades like manufacturing, and as mechanics, electricians, etc. was cemented in the 20th Century by the iconic “Rosie the Riveter” campaign that encouraged women to fill the jobs left vacant by the men drafted to fight in World War II. Although many of the women who rose to the challenge would lose these jobs after the war as men returned, the idea of women working in the trades would persist.

Although challenges remain, women continue to break down gender norms and it no longer takes a national emergency to spur them to pursue careers in the trades. Women enter the trades for the same reasons as men—they find gratification in creating something or they enjoy the challenge. More than ever, women are stepping to the forefront across occupations and industries to take their place in a workforce critical to building and maintaining our nation’s infrastructure.

Conquering the pay gap

The ability to earn a living wage is a big incentive for women to enter the hard trades. Apprenticeships are a ticket to the middle class without a college degree. Women in the trades earn 97 cents for every $1 earned by men—shrinking the “pay gap” still found across other occupations. In 2024, women made up 50% percent of the U.S. population. Using a broad definition of the trades that offer apprenticeships, in 2024, 22% of apprentices were women.  

Skylar Lawrence, a graduate of Fort Simcoe Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center’s heavy equipment mechanic program, was savvy enough to recognize that a career in the skilled trades can be lucrative—not only in earnings potential, but also a benefits packages that often includes health insurance, retirement and overtime pay.  

“I went to Job Corps because college just got too expensive and I got burnt out with going to college,” said Lawrence. “But still I wanted to do more with my life and not on a job that would not pay me enough to live off of.”

Rather than launching her career immediately after her graduation, Lawrence burnished her credentials by traveling to San Marcos, Texas to complete Transportation Communications Union/International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (TCU IAM) Advanced Training – Transportation Service Worker program at Gary Job Corps center. This increased her competitive career advantage.  

“I wanted to expand my knowledge in the railroad industry because I loved this job field as a child,” stated Lawrence. “The TCU IAM Advanced Training Program would allow me to challenge myself in something that I have a passion to learn more about.”

Based in Tacoma, Washington, Lawrence has worked as a railroad maintenance specialist or “car man” for three years at TTX Company.  TTX is an innovator in the process that established the distribution principles of “pooling agreements” that allowed railroads to share railcars and maintain industry competitiveness. Lawrence helps maintain its fleet of over 175,000 railcars that serve North America’s railroads.

“I see Skyler moving up in the company to a leadership role,” shared Mike Fleshman, her TTX FMO Supervisor. “It’s been a pleasure working with Skyler because she has developed her skills to be an asset to the team and to the company.”  

A fearless pursuit of her goals

Lawrence’s superpower is her focus on the end game. Salty language aside, being a woman in the trades does not intimidate her. However, she was disappointed to learn she was the only woman out of the original nine that had been part of the program to return to campus after Fort Simcoe reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Beyond that, Lawrence simply concentrated on proving she could do the job as well as any man. Heavy Equipment Mechanics Ft. Simcoe Job Corps Instructor Justin Moritz admired her confidence and sense of purpose.  

“I saw her determination in both the Job Corps program and now the work that she does,” he said. “Nothing was going to detract Skyler from her goals. She was the only female in a primarily male trade, but she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way.”

Lawrence recognizes the benefits of having mentors. Relationships matter when working in the skilled trades because situational skills cannot be taught in a classroom. She observes how they approach problem solving on the job and leans into absorbing the knowledge of “old timers” who’ve mastered their craft.  

“I ask the right questions and just keep asking because the old heads have a lot of information they want to give out. All of that asking has helped me over the past two, almost three years on the job,” she explained.  

A tradition of pre-apprenticeship programs

At their inception, Public Law 88-452 uniquely authorized Civilian Conservation Centers to provide, in addition to workforce preparation skills training, program of work experience to “conserve, develop, or manage public natural resources or public recreational areas or to develop community projects in the public interest.”  

What is often not realized is that, amongst the 121 Job Corps centers nationwide, CCCs dominate training youth in the skilled trades that include welding, electrical, carpentry, masonry and heavy equipment machinery and operations. Female students in the CCCs have particularly developed the reputation of excelling in the welding trade.  

Union-operated pre-apprenticeship programs were introduced at Forest Service centers in 1966. Since then, CCCs have emphasized professional credentials and certifications in vocational trades that are associated with high pay. This perfectly aligns with their mission to strengthen rural economies by providing youth with the skills and work experience to obtain and keep a living wage job.

“These are great jobs,” said Forest Service Job Corps National Director Jerry Ingersoll.  “As our graduates launch apprenticeships in these skilled trades, they reflect the future of our country.  I’m particularly proud of women entering these fields through their experience in Forest Service Job Corps.”  

For her part, Lawrence aims to learn anything and everything she can in her that that will move her as far as she can go in her field. When asked what she would share with other young women who choose to work in non-traditional union trades, Lawrence shared, “If you want to learn any of those types of trades go for it. Because at the end of the day, the only person who is going to stop you or motivate you is you. You just got to do the work and find the trade that you will enjoy doing for most of your life, like I did.”