The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has been awarded a $1.35 million federal grant to fund the Tradeswomen Building Infrastructure (TBI) initiative, which aims to increase women’s participation in the construction trades. The announcement was made on August 23rd during an event attended by Governor JB Pritzker, Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and IDOL.
To be implemented in partnership with Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), the grant builds upon CWIT’s National Center for Women’s Equity and Apprenticeship’s previous work. It comes at a crucial time, coinciding with the rollout of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which is expected to create numerous career opportunities in the construction trades.
The TBI initiative is a collaborative effort with tradeswomen organizations nationwide, designed to accelerate state and local efforts to increase women’s inclusion on BIL-funded construction projects. The program aims to ensure equitable industry representation of historically excluded groups.
The TBI initiative will address barriers, including toxic work environments and inconsistent employment opportunities. Key components of the program include:
- Providing guidance and technical assistance to industry partners on recruitment and retention strategies.
- Advocating for policies and practices outlined in CWIT’s Infrastructure Equity framework.
- Supporting the expansion of pre-apprenticeship training and essential supportive services.
Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan emphasized the grant’s objectives: “It’s our goal that with this grant, working alongside Chicago Women in Trades, we can continue transforming the public construction and infrastructure workforce to include more women. That starts with greater access to the industry, apprenticeships, and using data to measure retention and opportunities for advancement.”
This grant builds on CWIT’s efforts from a previous grant from the Women’s Bureau funded in the fall of 2022, which supported tradeswomen’s organizations in 11 states and municipalities to develop workforce-equity plans for BIL-funded projects.
The TBI initiative is supported by partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the Illinois Department of Labor, working together to implement the program’s major components and drive meaningful change in the construction industry’s workforce demographics.
Read more about the Tradeswomen Building Infrastructure (TBI) initiative.
