MINNEAPOLIS - A first-of-its-kind program is giving Girl Scouts the chance to learn about careers in the trade industry.
Monday was the first day for "Girls Can Do Anything at Dunwoody College of Technology" in Minneapolis. The two-week trade camp allows middle school girls with Girl Scouts River Valleys to explore skilled trades such as carpentry, welding, electrical wiring and design.
“Girls need to have this opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and really try things they might not have had exposure to,” said Tish Bolger, CEO of Girls Scouts River Valleys.
Women make up a small percentage of the trade workforce. In construction, for example, just nine percent of the jobs are filled by women.
“Our demographic is not nine percent women and 91 percent men, so we need to make that change,” said Heather Gay, Construction Management Program Manager at Dunwoody.
Heather looks at the campers as recruits.
“It’s important for young girls to get exposed to the trades and skills early on so that they know it's a career path. When I was a teen I didn't even know construction was an option for me so if you can let them know all these opportunities for them it broadens their horizons,” described Gay.
While the trade program is new, the mission is as old as the Girl Scouts itself.
“Girls who build courage, confidence and character make world better place. That’s what is happening here,” said Gay.