Meet the Women Enrolled at the Carpenters Union Commercial Dive Center

The offshore wind industry is generating transformational economic opportunities for New Jersey communities, and the Leading Light Wind project alone can create up to 7,500 jobs and generate $3.7 billion in economic development benefits statewide. Projected demand for skilled labor from the offshore wind sector will only further grow the near record high number of job openings in the building trades. As a result, workforce development programs are now more important than ever to adequately train workers for this new industry and to ensure that these opportunities are available to those who are traditionally underrepresented in the building trades, including women.

As one of the signatories to Leading Light Wind’s Memorandum of Understanding with several key New Jersey building trade unions, the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters is a leader and dedicated partner in preparing union workers for careers in offshore wind. Twenty-seven percent of the apprentices enrolled in its current class of commercial diver trainees are women, notably above the national percentage of women in construction, which hovers around 14%. We spoke with the women enrolled at the EAS Carpenters Union Commercial Dive Center about how they are shaping the future of the industry. Read the full Q&A on LinkedIn.