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Dear Friend,
Spring has been a busy season for Chicago Women in Trades!
In Springfield, a bill led by Chicago Women in Trades passed the Illinois General Assembly and is now headed to the Governor's desk. SB 3465 would guarantee tradeswomen something that should never have been up for debate: a clean, private place to use the bathroom, express milk or manage their period on a job site. It's a basic dignity, and soon it may be the law. |
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Closer to home, another cohort graduated from our Women Build Illinois program with a record number of students placed into apprenticeships, ready to begin life-changing careers. We are grateful to our partners who provided hands-on training that inspires and demonstrates the practical requirements across the various trades.
Our Equity Resource Center has also been busy, bringing harassment-prevention training to contractors, unions, and conferences across the region — because building a more welcoming industry takes work on the inside, too.
I hope you enjoy reading about some of our recent successes!
Jayne Vellinga, Executive Director |
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Basic Dignity on Construction Sites |
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For years, CWIT has fought for basic rights and needs for women working on construction sites. It seems a simple premise: a construction site should meet the basic needs of every worker on it. This spring, that idea moved closer to law.
Working with Sen. Graciela Guzman, Rep. Theresa Mah, and our coalition partners, CWIT shaped SB 3465, legislation that ensures workers who menstruate or express milk have safe, sanitary, and dignified working conditions on construction sites. For women or individuals who menstruate, this legislation will require free menstrual products on construction worksites and adequate restroom break time. For worksites with 10 or more workers, the bill will require a dedicated bathroom with signage and internal locks.
For tradeswomen, these aren't small details. Access to clean, private facilities affects health, safety and the ability to do their jobs!
Please urge Governor Pritzker to sign the bill into law! |
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Helping CWIT Graduates Get to Work |
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In May, two CWIT graduates were awarded donated vehicles, enabling them to travel to job sites across the region. Travel to job sites across the region is mandatory for success.
Jabria (pictured left), a Women Build Illinois graduate now an apprentice with the Carpenters Union, was one of the recipients. She came to the program determined to create a different path for herself and her family, and has met every challenge along the way with that same resolve. The car removes one more barrier between her and the career she has worked hard to earn.
Kashi completed our Women in Welding program in 2023 and has since moved into a project management role. Transportation has been a persistent obstacle throughout her career, requiring her to borrow vehicles or coordinate rides to reach job sites. With a reliable car, she says, she can simply show up and do her job.
Thanks to Constellation Energy and their Powering Change Workforce Development Initiative for leading the effort and investing in bringing Vehicles for Change to Illinois, which partnered with Liberty Auto to make this possible. |
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Big News on Placements! |
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Women Build Illinois graduated 28 women in April, with 18 students passing the carpenters and plumbers entrance exams and several selected for IBEW Local 134 solar panel training.
Between April and May, 19 CWIT graduates secured apprenticeships with the plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, and millwrights, and 11 women entered construction and manufacturing careers. We are especially proud of the eight new plumbers who began their apprenticeships last month.
These outstanding outcomes reflect not only the determination and hard work of the participants but also the dedication of the CWIT staff who supported them throughout their journey. Special recognition goes to Case Manager Sandra Brudent for providing career readiness services and individualized support; Career Developer Renee Richardson for connecting participants with apprenticeship and employment opportunities; Ana Herrera for assisting with application fee reimbursements and ensuring participants were informed of industry application openings; and Ms. Kitty Thompson for providing tutoring and helping participants build the math skills needed to successfully pass union entrance examinations. We also acknowledge former instructor Rhea Rashad, whose contributions helped lay the foundation for this cohort's success. Their combined efforts were instrumental in helping these women achieve life-changing career opportunities.
Learn about our Women Build Illinois program or sign up for an Information Session to explore all of CWIT's free training programs. |
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A Skill No One Can Take From You |
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Behind our Women in Welding program are two people who make it work: lead instructor Desirée Guzmán and case manager Tonnickie Singleton. Read about what they do to prepare women for the trades — the technical skills, the hands-on practice and the steady, practical support that carries students from their first day in the shop to their first day on the job.
Meet Desirée Guzmán and Tonnickie Singleton |
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CWIT at the 2026 State of the Majority Summit |
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On June 3, the 2026 State of the Majority Summit convened 150 policymakers, corporate leaders and media in Washington, D.C. to discuss bipartisan solutions on caregiving, AI's impact on jobs, women in the skilled trades and retirement security. The summit is organized by Engage, which works to advance women’s economic security through policy. Equity Resource Center Director Lark Jackson was invited to join fellow experts Dr. Lynn Shaw, Ariane Hegewisch and Illiana Flores on a panel focused on equitable entry and retention for women in the skilled trades. CWIT's inclusion reflects the growing recognition that the trades are central to women's economic security. |
RISE Up on the Road |
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CWIT's Equity Resource Center team spent the past few months bringing the RISE Up program to contractors and industry stakeholders across the region. The RISE Up program reached contractor leadership teams and the ISACC statewide registered apprenticeship conference in Champaign, Illinois, with more sessions booked into the summer.
The training addresses a real need: helping employers build sites where not only women, but all workers can do their jobs without harassment, and giving industry stakeholders at all levels the tools to navigate an industry that is learning to be more inclusive.
Learn about the services and resources available through CWIT's Equity Resource Center. |
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Thank You, Painters District Council 14! |
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In April, the Women's Committee of Painters District Council 14 hosted a trivia night benefiting CWIT, and the turnout was fantastic! The event raised more than $31,000 in general operating support for CWIT. We're grateful to the Women's Committee for their tremendous generosity!
Gifts like this keep our training, advocacy and support services running. If you'd like to be part of changing the lives of women entering the trades, there's a simple way to help: become a monthly donor. A recurring gift, at any amount, can help us! |
| Become a monthly donor |
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