Trailblazers

Female employer stands in front of construction site talking to Trailblazers participants.

Participant uses a table saw to cut wood while an instructor looks on at VWW's Trailblazers trades training program

A group of Trailblazers poses for a photo after successfully installing a sliding barn door during the trades training program.

A Trailblazer practices using a circular saw during the trades training.

Job training in construction

Trailblazers is a free trades training program preparing women and gender-expansive individuals ages 18+ for careers in construction and the skilled trades.

The seven-week-long pre-apprenticeship program provides a safe, non-judgmental environment for participants to build skills, gain confidence, and explore fields that tend to be male-dominated.

Throughout the program, participants get hands-on experience through field trips, community build projects, and a work experience with a local employer who has participated in our Inclusive Workplaces training.

Trailblazers is a certified pre-apprenticeship program through the Vermont Department of Labor with Alliance Group as our employer partner.

2026 classes are full! If you’d like to be added to our email list to hear of future trainings, email Jillian at jscannell@vtworksforwomen.org.

Class Overview

Weeks 1-5

Class meets two evenings during the week from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm and Saturdays from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Participants receive classroom and hands-on instruction covering core construction, trades, and renewable energy skills; Curricula based on NCCER (National Center for Construction Education & Research).
Participants complete OSHA 10 safety training

Weeks 6-7

Trailblazers have the opportunity to complete an on-site internship with a local employer.
Class continues meeting one evening a week for career support, mentor, and networking events.

“I have wanted to get into the trades and didn't know where to start. Now I have so much direction and feel like there's a bounty of resources to utilize."

- Trailblazers Graduate

“The Trailblazers program turned an unclear, intimidating job field into an exciting, completely do-able career path. Getting to meet and learn from so many women in the trades was hugely inspiring."

- Trailblazers Graduate

“I gained confidence through the experience - both in trying something new in a supportive environment and in the new skills we practiced as a team.”

-Trailblazers Graduate

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, thanks to our generous supporters!

Trailblazers is open to Vermont women and gender-expansive individuals ages 18+who are looking to start a career in the trades.

Trailblazers is offered in communities across the state, contact us to learn where the next cohort will be!

We require every employer who hosts an intern to first complete at least one 90-minute inclusive workplaces training to increase their awareness and ability to provide a supportive environment for all.

Past Trailblazers have ranged in age from 18 to mid-60s. Some participants are just entering the workforce and Trailblazers is an opportunity to explore whether a career in the trades is the right fit for them. Others are mid-career and looking to make a shift into the construction trades, and some participants are at the end of a fulfilling career and want to pursue trades work as a second (or third!) career. A common refrain from participants is that they have always been interested in working with their hands, but were discouraged from pursuing their curiosity earlier in life.

Some participants finish the class and decide that a career in the trades is not the right choice for them – and that’s okay! As a career exploration program, Trailblazers provides a low-barrier opportunity for someone to learn whether the trades is a good fit. For other participants, the timing might not be right for a career change and they decide to stay in their current job for the time being.

For those who decide to pursue a career in the trades, we have had graduates go on to work as carpenters, cabinet makers, solar installers, weatherization technicians, and project managers. Others have started apprenticeships with electrical, HVAC, and mechanical controls companies.