Local young women encouraged to pursue careers in manufacturing and trade at free expo

The Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO) and Cerritos College, both AMP SoCal partners, and the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Linked Learning Consortium (AMETLL) offered a free “Women in the Trades, Logistics, Manufacturing and Engineering” expo for middle school and high school girls on February 22. Over 100 students attended the event hosted at the Toolots headquarters in Cerritos.

Several AMP SoCal partners from different organizations were also in attendance, including Keith Coleman from Southwest Water and Energy Consortium and The Tesla Foundation. “There was a high level of participation from everyone there,” said Coleman. “It was great exposure for young women who may not be familiar with the careers and possibilities available to them within manufacturing.”

The agenda included a panel of five women who are in different stages of their careers in manufacturing and trade related fields. The panelists engaged directly with a room full of young students, encouraging them to explore opportunities and studies in STEM, and providing personal real world examples of challenges and success. There were also several interactive workshops throughout the day, including an exercise focused on breaking down barriers, which prompted girls to fill post-it notes with barriers they encounter and solutions to overcome hurdles. The post-its revealed that a common barrier was self-confidence, but a recurring solution was mentorships and the support of those around them.

The organizations who facilitated the event were glad to help girls understand that there are many ways to overcome barriers, including educating them about opportunities within the Trades, Logistics, Manufacturing and Engineering fields.

We were more than happy to support SELACO and Cerritos College in promoting the entrance of women into the trades, a career path in increasingly high demand,” said Toolots Chief Operating Officer Raymond Cheng, calling the expo an absolute success.

For a full write-up and photos of the day’s event, please click the article provided by Toolots below:

Over 100 Local Students Attend Expo On Women In The Trades, Logistics, Manufacturing And Engineering Industries

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