Education

Callahan Hosts Women in the Trades Summit

(back row, l-r) Britni Silcox, IBEW Local 103; Kennel Broomstein, IBEW Local 103; Kathy Nugent, Quincy building inspector; Jessica Mapplebeck, Local 7 Iron Workers; Bridget Nee-Walsh, Local 7 Iron Workers; Maura Russell, Dept of elementary and secondary education. (Front row, l-r) Hannah Pirez and Jessica Anthony of Callahan Construction, with Quincy High School students.

Quincy, MA –  Callahan Construction Managers recently hosted a Women in the Trades Summit with Quincy High School Career & Technical Education.

 The half-day summit provided an opportunity for female students enrolled in non-traditional career programs, their teachers, and guidance counselors to learn first-hand about opportunities for women in the skilled trades, along with personal insights from women actively working in these fields. A total of 208 girls from Quincy High School, ranging from freshmen to seniors, attended the summit, which welcomed representatives of community organizations, developers, contractors, government employees and building trades unions.

 Each of the three sessions provided the chance for students, both enrolled in the CTE program and those considering enrollment, as well as CTE teachers, the opportunity to interact directly with participants, who offered open dialogue on their career experience, challenges faced within their respective industries and insights to creating successful tracks for career progression.

(l-r) Kathy Nugent, Quincy building inspector; Bridget Nee-Walsh, Local 7 Iron Workers; Jessica Mapplebeck, Local 7 Iron Workers; Jessica Anthony, Callahan Construction; Kennel Broomstein, IBEW Local 103; Britni Silcox, IBEW Local 103; Hannah Pirez, Callahan Construction

In addition, the Women in the Trades Summit featured opportunities for networking with trade unions, community groups and student organizations to further assist participants who are seeking a career pathway in skilled trades. Summit participants included Callahan, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, IBEW Local 103, Ironworkers Local 7, City of Quincy Building Department, and the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office for Career/Vocational Technical Education.

 “We are thrilled by the response to our Women in the Trades Summit, both from our partners in the skilled trades and within our community in Career & Technical Education,” said Keith Segalla, Executive Director of Career & Technical Education (CTE) and Instructional Technology with Quincy Public Schools. “We value Callahan’s commitment to helping establish this open dialogue with our students, which provides them with invaluable insights into career paths and general opportunities for personal growth.”