Pictured Christy Webber with Lauren Sugarman. Sen. President Emil Jones. Photos by Andrew Davis
Chicago Women in Trades ( CWIT ) held a decking party—in the form of an open-house breakfast—to celebrate its move into its new headquarters at 1455 S. Michigan Jan. 26.
CWIT focuses on the lack of representation of women in the construction field. To that end, the organization conducts outreach, offers informational sessions and hosts annual career fairs. In addition, the program has a 12-week training course that is conducted twice each year. To make sure women get a fair crack at employment, there are also job-placement programs ( including support meetings ) and follow-up initiatives. Moreover, there is a youth program that targets students at Chicago's public schools.
Special guest speaker State Sen. President Emil Jones told the audience seated in CWIT's new classroom that not only is it important for everyone to have a chance at practicing a trade but that being a tradesperson certainly presents no shame in one's game—and can put plenty of money in one's wallet or purse. 'Everyone's not going to college,' he said. 'That's the problem with our educational institutions. People assume that you automatically fail if you don't go to college; that's wrong. Society needs all types of individuals.'
Jones, introduced by CWIT board member Brenda Russell as 'a drum major for women's rights and social justice,' added that the new location allows 'women to come together and work together to ensure that [ those ] who want to work get the necessary skills to get and keep a good job.'
Lauren Sugerman, CWIT's president, commented to Windy City Times that having the space, which is twice as large as the organization's previous place, marked a turning point. 'To have a home in central Chicago like this and to have a place with classrooms, office space and workshop space that will allow women to build their skills to become competitive candidates is an enormous change for us,' she said. 'It's really helping us to bridge the gap between women's abilities and interests to be competitive workers in this construction industry.'
The event also allowed CWIT to thank others ( such as carpenters and other partners ) for helping the organization move into its current digs on time. In addition, the breakfast served as a kick-off of the group's 25th anniversary—a definitive milestone for an organization that started, in Sugerman's words, 'in the kitchens and livingrooms of tradeswomen who were struggling to survive in jobs they loved but were not always welcome in.'
