Organizations for Women & Girls

All across the United States and Canada there is a groundswell of support for women and girls in Infrastructure. Whether you’re getting ready for your first job, exploring a mid-career change, or have been working in the industry for decades - these organizations are here for you! They are led by extraordinary women who are eager to share their knowlege and experience and will be your biggest champions!

Vermont Works for Women

The mission of Vermont Works for Women (VWW) is to promote economic justice by advancing gender equity and supporting women and youth at every stage of their career journeys

Founded in 1987, VWW is working to create an equitable Vermont where people of all identities and backgrounds have equal access to opportunities and to thrive economically - where they make confident, deliberate choices about life and work that reflect an expansive grasp of what’s possible. VWW currently carries out its mission through three priority areas:

Creating Economic Opportunities: Our Employment & Career Services and Skills Training programs help women gain employability skills and industry-recognized credentials that can lead to meaningful work and economic stability. Programs are open to all women and gender-expansive individuals, regardless of where they are in their career journeys. Our client-centered approach provides individualized support for participants with substantial barriers to employment such as generational poverty, histories of substance use disorder, or incarceration. Employment coaching services are delivered in-person and through a variety of virtual media to best reach a wide audience across Vermont. We also coordinate a volunteer mentor network, offer workshops in group settings and with local training partners, and provide work readiness and reentry support to women incarcerated at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility.

Investing in Potential: Our Rosie’s Girls welding and carpentry camps and afterschool programs, annual Women Can Do career exploration conference, LIFT trades training program, and Career Challenge Days in technical centers serve girls and gender-expansive youth ages 11-17 from every county in Vermont – developing confidence and resilience through hands-on experiences that tap in to their own limitless potential. Summer and year-round activities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), trades, and leadership development help youth build confidence, connection, and expanded possibilities.

Promoting Culture Change: More than just an employment or workforce development organization, VWW is a women’s economic justice organization, supporting economic independence by addressing the root causes of pay inequity, busting gender stereotypes, and expanding access to financially viable jobs and careers.

We were also a founding partner in Change The Story Vermont, a groundbreaking 7-year initiative with the Vermont Women’s Fund and the Vermont Commission on Women to fast-track women’s economic well-being through data analysis, shaping policy that benefits working women, and working with employers.

VWW has been recognized locally and nationally by the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity 2017 Teamwork Award, Vermont Children’s Trust Fund’s Sally Fox Award, the National Association of Mayors, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Hunger Free Vermont, The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, the National Girls Collaborative and the John Merck Fund. Learn more at vtworksforwomen.org. 

Quick List: Apprenticeships, Training & Employment