| Women Carpenters By Hal Brown Four days a week seven women leave their classroom, pick up their 2x4s, and hike around the block. Carrying three eight-foot 2x4s is part of their training, it's all part of becoming a carpenter. The women are learning skills from Carpenter's Union Local 210 in an apprentice program co-sponsored by the union and NEON. Several dozen women have gone through the program and are now journeyman carpenters. Jim Byxbee, the apprentices' instructor says the women carry the 2x4s "so when they get out on the job site it won't be culture shock when they have to lift material around." The class meets Monday through Thursday each week at the carpenters' union apprenticeship building and Fridays at NEON. They learn carpentry skills in the apprentice program and pick up life skills with NEON. Most of the women in the program are single mothers. The 13-week intensive program they're in gives them credit for one year of the union's four-year apprenticeship program. They make $12.15 an hour, the going rate for a first year union apprentice carpenter. "With this program, when they graduate they're going to go out and make some serious money initially and down the road, when you equate the benefit package. They'll be able to sustain and support their families, versus going to a fast food chain or retail," Byxbee said. The women start from ground zero. Three weeks into the class they've been through the elementary measurements, hammers and circular saws. "We start just with basics, how to read a tape measure, they swing hammers for the first time." Byxbee said. "We do about 20 percent classroom, then 80 percent hands-on. I find that theory is one thing, but actually getting out there and getting a feel for swinging a hammer, getting a feel for using a saw." The women sometimes have reservations, wanting to know what the program will entail, Byxbee said. 'There were several people who had originally signed who have chosen not to pursue it," he said. "I don't know if I scared them away. Basically, I explain what the program is and what it entails. There's some heavy duty work involved." The women get their basic tools free of charge, but they have to earn them. "We have certain criteria before they are issued a tool," Byxbee said. Their use of a tool is monitored. "It's just basic, basic stuff. But they're earning their tools even as we speak." Byxbee said the program is trying to address other conditions that might exist on the job site as the women enter a male-dominated profession. "Most of the experiences have been very positive-but, there again, reality check-- they may get in a situation where, because they're women, they may catch some flak." "We're starting a mentoring program with journeypersons," he said. ".I spoke to several women who are either in the third year, fourth year or journeyperson status. They're going to come in and talk about what their experiences have been. There are issues that come up. I find it much better for participants to talk to their counterparts in construction versus me telling them what to expect." While the women are learning to build houses, the NEON portion of the program helps them get their house in order. "Survival skills are taught here," said Harry Wise, who's an instructor in the program. "We teach the math, obviously: how to use a protractor, how to measure an angle. They're also taught budgeting and basic math; addition, subtraction, multiplication, division." "They spend all day Friday (at NEON)," Wise said. "The heavy emphasis is reading a ruler, how to deal with fractions and decimals." And as they absorb the math and other subjects,"They're taught a lot of life skills," he said. "How to survive in a man's world, which is basically what they're getting in to. We teach them what to do with their money, how to open a checking account, how to budget, the credit card traps-that sort of thing." Byxbee says the women's transition to real world carpentry has gone smoothly. "When they get on the job site, the contractors know, and the other carpenters on the job know, they're starting out in a new career. That's where the on-the-job training comes in because they're going to work for various contractors and every contractor has a different method of doing things. They'll have exposure (to different construction methods) while they're getting paid," he said. "They're still required to come to the formal training at a week at a pop" for the apprenticeship program. There's no labor shortage for carpenters now, either, making the women easily employable. "Right now there's a need for skilled labor in construction," Byxbee said. "They'll go out there and have the basic knowledge. We don't expect that when they leave this program they're going to be able to go out and build a house by themselves -- but certainly they're going to understand the technology, the material identification, know how to use their basic tools and be proficient." |
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