Vermont Works for Women promotes non-traditional careers

Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center will be transformed into an exposition of career and educational opportunities for high school girls on Thursday, October 13 as Vermont Works for Women hosts its twelth annual Women Can Do conference!  The conference, which runs from 8:45 am to 2:45 pm, boosts the profile of women working in non-traditional fields and encourages girls to take technical courses, enroll at technical high schools, and consider non-traditional careers. 

“With recent reports forecasting significant labor shortages in the skilled trades and numerous studies pointing to the economic and social value of investing in women, the Women Can Do conference responds by serving as a lightning rod for girls thinking about technical education and careers,” said Tiffany Bluemle, Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women.  “Young women who attend the conference will have the opportunity to discover that a whole new world of opportunity awaits them, and that they are not alone in wanting to explore a non-traditional path.”

Nearly 400 girls from across Vermont and parts of New Hampshire are expected to attend the conference.  New this year is the Action Expo – powered by the Solar Bus (www.solarbus.org) -- which will allow participants to explore dozens of careers in trades and technology as they travel from station to station trying out new tools and techniques.  The nearly 40 workshop offerings will include sessions such as “In Bridge We Trust” (for students interested in civil and mechanical engineering), “Soft-Where?” (for those considering a career as a software designer), “Renewables are Ready” (for participants wanting to know more about wind, solar and other renewable technologies), “Under the Hood” (for girls curious about auto maintenance), and will explore dozens of other careers in architecture and engineering, information technology and computers, natural resources, public safety and health, communications, trades, and other non-traditional careers.

Women Can Do is a program of Vermont Works for Women whose mission is to help women and girls recognize their potential and explore, pursue and excel in work that leads to economic independence.  Additional generous support comes from the Vermont Department of Education, the Vermont Department of Labor, the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Vermont Commission on Women.