Girls at Franklin County Tech Explore Male-Dominated Trades

Freshman females from Franklin County Technical School met at the Ja'Duke Center for the Performing Arts on October 27, 2023 for an educational program dubbed "Tradeswomen of Tomorrow." They got the rare opportunity to meet 13 remarkable women who work in typically male-dominated industries such as construction, welding, firefighting, precise tool production, and car mechanics.

The program's goal was to expose young people to employment options they might not have explored before. Diana Wheeler, the administrative assistant to the vocational director, emphasized the necessity of exposing pupils to a range of job opportunities. Students at Franklin Tech pick a major, known as a "shop," and then go through a pre-exploratory period before selecting five shops to investigate further.

Women from L.S. Starrett Co., an Athol-based precision tool firm, were on the panel. They dispelled myths about working in the trades, emphasizing that not all vocations require heavy machinery. They highlighted their own experiences with job advancement and prospects in the sector.

Speakers at the occasion were Painters and Allied Trades District Council member Alex Colonna, Turners Falls Fire Capt. Trisha Dana, and 2019 Franklin Tech graduate Gwyn Clark, who now operates her own antique auto repair business.

Students were urged to move outside of their comfort zones and engage in genuine talks about their career goals. The message was clear: there are no barriers to success in traditionally male-dominated areas.