Event promotes non-traditional jobs
PRESQUE ISLE — A hands-on, day-long event designed to encourage girls to consider careers in fields traditionally dominated by men will bring together 100 participants from schools throughout Aroostook County on Wednesday, April 28, on the Northern Maine Community College campus.
The Totally Trades conference will feature sessions ranging from carpentry and green energy to heavy equipment operation and bridge building — all providing an opportunity for the girls to experience some aspect of the profession through a practical exercise.
“We want to give girls a hands-on workshop experience to spark their interest and raise awareness about a career field that they may not have previously considered, as well as provide female role models — women who can lead by example, having already succeeded in pursuing work that traditionally is viewed as ‘man’s work’,” said Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau, conference planner and regional manager of the Central Aroostook office of Women, Work and Community, a statewide organization committed to improving the economic lives of Maine women and their families.
The conference is a free, one-day event for Aroostook County girls in grades 8 through 12. Funding for the activity is made possible through monies and in-kind services provided by: the Maine Department of Transportation; Maine Department of Education; Northern Maine Development Commission; K-PEL Industrial Services; Sarah LeClaire, Attorney at Law; Cassidy Orthodontics; McCain Foods USA; MMG Insurance; Sargent & Tweedie Transportation, Inc.; Soderberg Construction; S.W. Collins; Tempo Employment Services; Cary Medical Center; Gallagher’s Insurance; Lane Construction Corporation; Time Warner Cable of Maine; Northern Maine Community College; Women Unlimited; and Rathbun Lumber.
The conference is generously supported by the NMCC campus community, which serves as a host site for the event, and is a featured activity during the College’s recognition of April as National Community College Month.
“We are so pleased to join with Women, Work & Community to make this important event possible. As a post-secondary education institution and a vital resource for employers in this region, we want to do everything possible to showcase to students and members of the community what educational and career options are available to them,” said Jason Parent, NMCC director of development and college relations.
Conference registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Edmunds Conference Center. Following an official welcome, participants will break into the first of two sessions focusing on a specific career. A large group activity introducing general engineering principles will wrap up the day.
Individuals seeking more information on the conference or interested in participating, contact Senechal-Jandreau at 764-0050.
