You’re Building the Future of the Trades
You play an instrumental role in shaping the future of your trade. You’re committed to training, supporting, and representing the next generation of skilled tradesworkers. You take pride in building a workforce that’s safe, skilled, and ready for the future—but you also know how difficult it can be to recruit, retain, and sustain that workforce.
You might be a Registered Apprenticeship Program looking for new ways to attract talent—eager, motivated people who will not only complete your training but go on to build successful careers and send future apprentices your way. You want to strengthen how you recruit, train, and support your participants so that every apprentice you journey out is prepared for a long, successful career in the trade your program represents.
Or, you might be a union ready to reevaluate how you support your members – to create new policies and practices that reflect the realities of today’s workforce. You want your members to feel seen, heard, and supported, and you know that strengthening your union’s approach benefits everyone, not just those at the margins. You want new, quality members who demonstrate loyalty, grow into leadership, and help your local thrive for generations to come.
No matter your role, your goal is the same: to build a stronger, more inclusive industry — and to ensure your program or local remains a strong, respected voice for the future of the trades.
The Equity Resource Center is your partner, helping you recruit, retain, and empower the next generation of tradesworkers while ensuring your programs and locals are equipped to meet the moment.
Let’s Build a Sustainable Apprenticeship Pipeline
At the Equity Resource Center, we specialize in the two “Rs” that matter most—recruitment and retention. For decades, we’ve refined and tested strategies that work to bring more women into the trades and keep them there. Now, we’re ready to share that proven expertise—partnering with you to refine and strengthen your already strong program or local.
Whether you’re training new apprentices or leading a union local, our goal is the same—to help you create a respectful, inclusive, and high-performing space where every worker has the chance to succeed and stay.
We Can Help You:
Develop family-friendly policies that benefit all workers and strengthen retention.
Train members, instructors, and apprentices in anti-harassment and bystander intervention so everyone knows how to recognize and respond safely.
Understand the unique challenges tradeswomen face in training programs and within their unions.
Understand and comply with laws and regulations around discrimination, equity, and workplace conduct.
Write or update policies and procedures that protect your members, trainees, and organization.
Simon Williams
“Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.”
Advancing Women in Manufacturing
Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.
Lark Jackson
Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.
Why Us?
Making the trades a place where all workers can thrive is at the heart of our work at the Equity Resource Center. We’ve spent years listening to tradeswomen, apprenticeship programs, and unions to understand what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to building a strong, inclusive workforce. We know the challenges you face in an evolving industry, and we have solutions that benefit both the supply and demand sides of the trades.
What sets us apart is our approach to this work. We trust your expertise as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or union and know that you understand your members and trainees best. Our role is not to tell you what to do—it’s to listen to your experiences, bring our decade of experience working with RAPs and unions to the table, and partner with you to strengthen what already works within your program. Together, we build on your existing success to make your organization even stronger.
When you work with us, you gain the benefit from our knowledge across the entire trades ecosystem. We bring insight from every angle—what tradeswomen and tradespeople need to succeed, what contractors look for in a reliable workforce, and what apprenticeship programs and unions need to recruit and retain top talent.
It’s not as hard as you might think when you have the right partner. With us as your guide, you’ll gain the tools, knowledge, and perspective to create an environment where not just tradeswomen, but every worker—and your organization can thrive.
Ready to Strengthen Your Program or Union?
Partner with us to build stronger, more inclusive training and membership systems.
Tradeswomen Advocates Help Pass House Resolution for Gender and Racial Equity
Lauren Sugerman Retires After Four Decades Building the Tradeswomen Movement
