By Carolyn Cooke, Chair, Board of Directors, Vermont Works for Women It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that the Board of Directors announces Jen Oldham’s departure as Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women (VWW), at the end of 2019. For the past two years, Jen… Read More

On Monday, May 20th, Vermont Works for Women graduated fourteen women and gender non-conforming individuals from its new Trailblazers: Women in the Construction Trades pre-apprenticeship program at SkillTech (Center for Technology at Essex). Read More

This year we are celebrating Rosie’s Girls’ 20th year in Vermont – 20 years of empowering campers to follow their passions, try new things, and believe in themselves. Read More

Using our guiding principles of Challenge by Choice, using inclusive language and encouraging positive self-esteem, we create safe spaces – free from judgement – where young women and gender non-conforming youth feel secure stepping outside of their comfort zones and trying new things in a way they may not have done in another setting or a mixed group. Read More

In our eyes, Danielle Bombardier has accomplished the VWW vision: she made a fearless commitment to pursuing her dreams to become an electrician, despite being a field where women are under-represented. When we first interviewed Danielle in 2016 she was on the verge of completing a five-year-long apprenticeship to become an electrician. Three years later, the former participant is now a driving force behind... Read More

Vermont Works for Women (VWW) is actively recruiting participants for its Trailblazers: Women in the Construction Trades program, designed to prepare women for jobs and apprenticeships in high-demand, high-paying sectors, including construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and others. Along with technical skills, the program exposes participants to the range of employers and jobs available with these skills, as well as provides mentoring and networking opportunities with women working in these sectors. Read More

Sara Lestage is proud that IBM supports Women Can Do because she believes that one positive interaction with a role model or event can help students decide on a career path. Read More

Vermont Works for Women (VWW) has been awarded $350,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau to expand women’s access to training, apprenticeships, and jobs in the electrical, plumbing, and construction fields. “There are great jobs for women in the trades that don’t require a college degree and can provide life-long financial stability,” says Jen Oldham, Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women. Read More

Sergeant Erynn Hazlett joined the Vermont Army National Guard in 2009. A seventh generation Vermonter, Erynn wanted to stay in southern Vermont to build her life so joining the National Guard allowed her to serve and stay in Vermont. Erynn spent her first six years serving in Logistics, including… Read More

Nine years ago, Keiko moved to Vermont and began working as a bookkeeper in Richmond one day a week. While she liked the position, the hours were not enough for Keiko to earn a livable wage. “I wanted to work more,” she says, “I was looking for a new job… Read More