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There's a specific kind of morning that tradeswomen with school-age kids know by heart. You're already in your work clothes, boots laced, hair tied back, lunch packed and your kid is standing at the kitchen table in one sock, telling you they forgot to finish a worksheet that's due today. And you have to be on the floor in forty-five minutes. You do the math. You sign the paper. You find the other sock. You get them out the door. And then you go build the next generation. Nob

Before we talk about anything else… before the industry, before the pipeline, before the workforce numbers and representation and the conversations about what it takes to bring more women into the trades - We need to talk about moms. Because behind a lot of us? There's one. There's the mom who worked a job she didn't love so you could have what you needed, and never once let you see how tired she was. The mom who fixed things around the house because there was no one else to

National Apprenticeship Week is more than just a time to recognize a training path, it’s a chance to highlight the people who are learning a specialized craft, building a future, and carrying industries forward. In the skilled trades, apprentices are not just “helpers” or people waiting their turn, they are the next generation of workers, leaders, and mentors. An apprenticeship is one of the most valuable ways a person can learn. It combines hands-on experience with classroom

There’s a moment a lot of tradeswomen describe when they finally land in their field. A kind of recognition, like “this is exactly where I was supposed to be.” The problem is how long it took them to get there. Not because they weren’t capable. Not because the opportunity didn’t exist. But because nobody told them it did. That’s the recruiting gap. And it’s costing the trades more than we talk about. The Pipeline Doesn’t Fill Itself One shipfitter put it plainly: “Recruiting

Why Trade Shows Still Matter (More Than Ever) in the Skilled Trades In an industry built on relationships, reputation, and real-world results, trade shows are still one of the most powerful rooms you can walk into. Not because of the free swag.Not because of the flashy booths.But because of the conversations. As someone who lives in the trades - on job sites, in classrooms, and in content spaces - I’ve seen firsthand how much opportunity exists inside convention centres for p

People love to romanticize “day in the life” content - the morning coffees, the laptop views, the perfect little routines.But here’s the version you don’t see enough of: A woman rolling into the jobsite before sunrise.A woman in PPE instead of business casual.A woman picking up tools, reading blueprints, leading conversations, solving problems, and literally building the world around us. This is what our day in the life looks like - not glamorized, not filtered - just real,

And while there are countless women who deserve to be named, celebrated, and remembered - this one is for Jessie Combs. If you’ve spent any time around engines, fabrication, racing, welding, or the kind of spaces where grit is currency, you know her name. Jessie wasn’t just “the fastest woman on four wheels.” She was a fabricator.A metal shaper.A welder.A builder.A TV personality who never let the cameras define her.An engineer in a fire suit. She made speed look fearless, bu

Every tradesperson has a story that starts with, “I didn’t say anything because that’s just how it is.” We learn early in our careers that there’s a quiet list of “acceptable” behaviours on the job site - things everyone sees, everyone hates, and everyone silently agrees to ignore. And while the industry keeps talking about recruitment, retention, and the future of the trades, we’re losing more talent to the things we pretend not to notice than to anything else. The truth is

Women in Construction Week matters. Not because women in construction only exist for one week.Not because we need a themed logo or a social post. But because visibility changes outcomes. I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it: when a woman walks onto a jobsite, she’s not just doing her job. She’s being watched by the next apprentice, by leadership, by young girls who don’t even know construction is an option yet. And if we don’t intentionally highlight women this week,

For a long time, I thought the goal was to “get everything right”. No mistakes. No missteps. No sign that I was still figuring things out. It felt responsible. Professional. Strong. But here’s the truth I had to learn (sometimes the hard way): Perfectionism isn’t about getting better - it’s about never feeling “good enough”.Growth is the opposite. Growth says, “I’m allowed to learn”. And those two mindsets lead to completely different lives. Perfectionism is fear wearing a di

For decades, women in the skilled trades have been told directly and indirectly, that there’s only room for a few of us at the table. One woman per crew. One woman per company. One woman per industry spotlight. Scarcity thinking didn’t start with us, but it’s something many tradeswomen have been forced to survive inside of. Competition became a coping mechanism. If you’re the only woman in the shop, on the site, or in the classroom, standing out can feel like self‑preservati

Confidence is something that has to be built from within. No one else can hand it to you - but the right people, opportunities, and environments can help you discover it. Nearly half of young women report lacking confidence during adolescence, often because of social pressure and circumstances. I was absolutely one of them. For years, I struggled with self-doubt. It took time, growth, and support to reach a place where I now feel confident - not only in who I am, but in the c

How Schools Can Introduce the Trades as Equal Options to College Walk into most high schools today, and you’ll see a familiar script: SAT prep, college fairs, guidance counselors pushing four-year degrees as the standard of success. And while higher education can be the right choice for many, there’s a silent disservice happening in the process - the trades are still treated as a backup plan. That framing doesn’t just hurt students who could thrive in a hands-on career; it a

I've been thinking about this a lot lately: tradeswomen aren't just proving we can do the job, we're straight up changing what people think the job looks like. Because let's be real here - there are folks out there who hear “pipefitter”, “electrician”, “ironworker”, and their brain auto-fills a picture of some big dude with a beard and a pinch of chew in his lip. I'm not even mad at that picture though, because that's what we've been shown since, forever now, it seems like. B

The skilled trades build the backbone of our world. From electricians and welders to machinists, carpenters, linemen, and technicians, tradespeople keep communities running. Often under pressure, tight deadlines, and physically demanding conditions. Yet for all the strength, resilience, and pride associated with trade work, mental health remains one of the most overlooked challenges in the industry. The Silent Strain Behind the Work The trades are demanding by nature. Long ho

When it comes to building a solid future, young people today are looking for more than just a job. They want stability, fair pay, growth opportunities, and a career path that feels meaningful. Union apprenticeships check all those boxes, and more! Earn While You Learn Union apprenticeships give young workers the chance to learn a skilled trade while also earning a paycheck. Instead of racking up college debt, apprentices earn while they learn - combining classroom knowledge w

Every tradesperson has a story that starts with, “I didn’t say anything because that’s just how it is.” We learn early in our careers that there’s a quiet list of “acceptable” behaviors on the jobsite - things everyone sees, everyone hates, and everyone silently agrees to ignore. And while the industry keeps talking about recruitment, retention, and the future of the trades, we’re losing more talent to the things we pretend not to notice than to anything else. The truth is si

For decades, there’s been a stigma surrounding blue collar jobs - a lingering misconception that working with your hands somehow means you’ve settled for less. Trade schools were seen as backup plans . Career counselors pushed college degrees as the only path to success. Parents encouraged office jobs over tool belts, and society equated a suit and tie with achievement. But that mindset is changing, fast. Across the nation, a new generation is rejecting outdated stereotypes a

What started as an “on-a-whim” decision to create a group chat on Snapchat for tradeswomen to connect has now turned into the Sisterhood of Trades – a swift growing project that is making its own impact on the history of tradeswomen in the modern world. Although the Sisterhood is still in the beginning stages, it's already proven to leave its mark on many women who have felt invisible or alone in this industry. I have no doubt that when most of us hear the phrase “blue collar

At Sisterhood of Trades, we believe in empowering and connecting the next generation of tradeswomen and tradesmen worldwide. Our mission is to advocate for women, close the skills gap, elevate blue-collar excellence, and show the world that trades are not just jobs, they are careers that build communities, families, and the future. Governments all over the world are investing in growth and with that comes the need to build. New schools, businesses, bridges, roads, and power p