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October 25, 2023September Committee Meeting: Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW)
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On September 21, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee officially kick-started its fall season by welcoming Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) as a guest speaker. After brief announcements of the WIA Upcoming Events, Around Town & Related Events, Topics & Good Reads and Member Announcements, NEW shared how we can collaborate on advancing women in the trades and the AEC industry as a whole. Representing NEW were Sinade Wadsworth, NEW Graduate and Co-Chair of the NEW Ambassador Council, Noorjahan Wells, Director of Workforce Development, and members of NEW’s Ambassador Council, Ann Rolland, FAIA, Partner at FXCollaborative, and Andis Woodlief, Director – Diversity Assured at TSIB.
NEW’s mission and goal is to prepare, train, and place women in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping women achieve economic independence and a secure future for themselves and their families. NEW also provides a pipeline of qualified workers to the industries that build, move, power, green, and maintain New York.
Attendees learned about the over 40-year history of NEW, how this amazing organization has placed over 3,500 tradeswomen in industry careers since 2005, how it trains over 350 students annually, and how life-changing NEW’s training can be. Sinade Wadsworth, a multi-award-winning NEW graduate, shared how NEW’s training introduced her to a career where she has a successful career as a carpenter, and now first female African American and Youngest Council Representative of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. She discussed her life story, not leaving a dry eye in the room.
We ended the discussion with a call to action. If we want to see a more diverse AEC industry, we as architects must support groups like NEW, providing them with further advocacy, sharing what we’ve learned about them, and pushing to see more women on our construction sites.
To find out more about NEW and the incomparable, Sinade Wadsworth:
Sinade Wadsworth, 2018 NEW Tradeswoman Honoree
Sinade Wadsworth, Robin Hood Heroes Honoree
Please go to this link to download a copy of the WIA September Committee Meeting agenda.
Women in Architecture
The definitive leadership resource for women in the architecture profession. The Women in Architecture (WIA) Committee develops and promotes women leaders within the architecture profession, with a focus on mentorship, licensure, and networking opportunities in architecture and the allied design and building industries.
