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occupy. Some sources say three percent. Others say it’s closer to
10 percent (though most sources suggest it’s not greater than 10
percent). The male-female ratio certainly differs a bit across indus-
tries: agriculture has a greater percentage of women than, say,
construction. But the overarching takeaway is that men hold many
of the jobs in the skilled trades in the United States.
Still, just because the skilled trades have been male-dominated
in the past doesn’t mean they have to be in the future. Many
employers in the trades are taking active steps to recruit more
women or to promote more female employees to leadership posi-
tions. Creating a more diverse, more welcoming, more equitable
environment for all is something that most businesses in the
trades see a great deal of value in and not just because opening
the door to more women in the workforce could potentially help
solve the worker shortages that many skilled trades industries are
facing. Diversity in the workplace has proven time and time again
to bring more perspectives, more creativity, more innovation, and
better problem-solving capabilities to the table, which can in turn
help employers improve their value propositions to clients and
customers and spark future growth.
The message is simple: if you are a woman thinking about a career
in the trades, there are countless employers out there who would
be thrilled to welcome you into the fold. There are even scholar-
ships out there intended specifically for women in the trades. These
opportunities are worth exploring now, as they may help you get a
head start toward a career you’ll love.
Myth 7
The trades aren’t a fulfilling career path
One of the beautiful things about the world is that we all have
different interests and different things that excite us. It is, of
course, true that there are people out there for whom a career in