Final preparations are being made by administrators from the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery Career and Technical Education Center (CTE) who will host an event for area students next month aimed at celebrating women in non-traditional workforce roles.
The inaugural ‘Women in the Workforce’ event will take place on March 12 in the conference center at the HFM Career and Technical Center, coinciding with Women in the Trades month.
The interactive affair will include more than 100 ninth-and-tenth grade female students from HFM region school districts, as well as 75 current CTE students interested in pursuing careers in non-traditional pathways. Nearly 50 industry professionals will be in attendance representing a variety of careers, including auto body repair, auto technology, construction technology, criminal justice, environmental conservation, robotics and engineering, skilled trades and more. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, non-traditional careers for women are defined as those with a female employment rate of 25% or less.
“Our goal is to expand students’ knowledge of careers that they may not otherwise consider,” said HFM Career and Technical Education Assistant Principal Kristina Marshall. “We are excited to host this event that will connect students with professionals and facilitate conversations that might influence their future goals.”
The event will include a panel discussion, moderated by Marshall and CTE Principal Michael DiMezza, as well as small roundtable discussions. It is a joint effort between HFM CTE and the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce. All school districts from the HFM region have been invited to participate in the event.
‘Women in the Workforce’ is just one of the Career Exploration Series of events to take place this year. Past programs include ‘Career Con’ and ‘Healthcare Conversations’ which have provided meaningful and robust career exploration opportunities to students of the HFM BOCES region.
This spring, HFM CTE will also partner with the Broadalbin-Perth Central School District to host a skilled trades and engineering fair.
