The road to success

YWCA program preps women,
minorities for construction industry

By Anne Herbst
Special to The Daily Reporter

Certain barriers stand in the way of women and minorities attempting to get into construction. The YWCA's Transportation Alliance for New Solutions has been breaking down these barriers since 1995.

TrANS, which originated in Milwaukee, is a program dedicated to teaching minorities the fundamentals of road construction. It has placed more than 300 qualified workers in highway construction jobs since its inception.

"Our mission is to provide career paths to high-skilled, high-wage employment for underrepresented people," said Wade Moffett, Milwaukee's TrANS program coordinator. "We're trying to create a community of qualified people to eventually get to that level of being a skilled tradesperson."

The six-week, 120-hour general labor class is free to those who express an interest in roadbuilding. Each candidate has to pass a preliminary screening, which includes questions relating to basic education, goals and a check for special requirements, such as possessing a driver's license.

Once accepted, students work with basic tools, complete a hands-on community project and learn the basics for an entry level construction job, such as blueprint reading.

"We want to reinforce the idea that construction is not about being big and strong," Moffett said. "It's about problem solving and mechanical aptitude."

Statewide aid

TrANS assists more than 60 contractors statewide in finding qualified laborers for jobs. The nonprofit program, funded by the state Department of Transportation, expanded last year from its Milwaukee location to those in Madison, Wausau, Rhinelander and Rock County. Coordinators said they hope the program will continue to succeed at placing students in jobs where they are needed most.

"Our goal is to provide local labor for local projects," Moffett said. "We try to provide a needed service, and we know the contractors need this service because of the high turnover and because of the shortage of skilled labor."

Contractors who use TrANS can expect to get employees who know the basics, have experience with roadside construction and show dedication to see a job through.

"The upfront screening helps find the right person for the right job," said Michelle Carter, Milwaukee YWCA director of nontraditional employee training. "It's more than just looking for a driver's license or a car. It's getting to know if they seem like a good fit for the challenges that the industry presents."

The program helps people who know little about the industry gain the knowledge necessary to get a job. Last year TrANS placed more than 75 percent of its graduates into roadside construction-related jobs.

"It's not for everybody, but I do see it succeed quite often," Moffett said. "I've seen a guy go from eight bucks an hour to 19 bucks an hour."

Firsthand experience

Tabitha Sprecher graduated from the Milwaukee TrANS program three years ago and is proof the program works. A former welfare recipient, she now makes $21 an hour at a job she obtained through TrANS. She said the training gave her the independence she craved.

Sprecher said the program helps people who could not land jobs in the industry. She said women face certain obstacles in road construction, but she enjoys the challenge each job provides.

"The best part is showing these guys that I can be as tough as they are," Sprecher said. "They think I'm going to quit, and then I last for months and months. They see that and their attitude changes, and they treat me like one of the guys."

Carter said the program disproves stereotypes people have of women and minorities. She said the hands-on community projects TrANS requires are unpaid, but many of the students express interest in additional demanding experiences.

"Most people assume that people would complain about working hard and getting dirty, but these people always say, 'Lets do more hands on,'" Carter said. "They go into [the community] and fill wheelbarrows with gravel, practice pouring sidewalks and setting forms-things like that.

"It's contrary to what people believe because the stigma is that women and minorities are lazy."

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