Women in Construction (at the Moore Community House)

Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 12:34:09 -0500 [05/17/2010 05:34PM UTC]

Dear Friends,

You are cordially invited to the commencement ceremonies for the 7th
graduating class of Moore Community House's Women in Construction program. We
hope you will join us in celebration of the accomplishments of this
beautifully fun and inspiring group of women on May 28, 2010 at 4pm. Please
be reminded that the ceremonies will be held at our new permanent location
at Moore Community House, 684 Walker St., Biloxi, MS. Invitations are
attached and please feel free to invite anyone who would be interested in
joining us on this special day.

We hope to see you there!

Julie and Johnny

From the website:

BACKGROUND

The idea for a women in construction project on the Gulf Coast originated with Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW)--a national organization committed to increasing the number of women involved in nontraditional occupations and helping women attain economic self-sufficiency. WOW saw a unique opportunity on the MS Gulf Coast for low-income women to increase their earning potential by helping to meet the demand for skilled workers rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.

WOW identified Moore to tackle the challenge of developing construction training and associated social and workplace supports for women entering this nontraditional field. With a planning grant from Oxfam, MCH surveyed needs and resources, meeting with overwhelmingly positive responses to the project. A start-up grant from the Women's Fund in Jackson propelled the pilot training session in January 2008

Nationally, women represent only 4 percent of the building trade workforce,. So no one expected that it would be easy to incorporate women into the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, .But the wave of female faces on Coast construction sites has opened the door for other women to enter the field.

MCH actively recruits participants for its WinC project. Construction training is provided through a partnership with the Hope Community Development Agency, a nonprofit that rebuilds homes in east Biloxi. Through this partnership, our students serve as construction workers for Hope and get on-the-job training ,while together they rebuild homes in the community!

WinC complements traditional training with stipends for child care and transportation; support groups; mentoring, resiliency coaching, job placement assistance, and supplemental classes designed to breach barriers that have historically prevented women from participating in construction trades