Registration is now open for Totally Trades! Career sessions offered by New Ventures Maine (NVME) online this spring. Eleven sessions are offered at no cost and are designed to encourage girls* in grades 8-12 to consider careers in which women are traditionally underrepresented. The 15-minute video sessions focus on high-wage, high-demand nontraditional careers in trade and technical fields.

Automotive, Criminal Justice, Carpentry, Firefighting, Forestry, Software Engineering, Solar Installation and other trade careers are highlighted in the series as well as an ‘Earn While Your Learn’ session on internships, apprenticeships and on-the-job training. *Workshops are for self-identifying girls and gender-expansive youth.

“Maine companies are looking for skilled tradeswomen and we want young women to have access to information that can lead them to well-paying and secure jobs in the future. In our state, where trade and technical careers are considered high-wage and high-demand, it’s a win-win for students to consider these job prospects that are also vital to the Maine economy. These same careers are also well supported by our community colleges and the University of Maine System,” said Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau, NVME workforce development manager and Totally Trades! organizer.

The sessions are free and open to girls in grades 8 through 12 who are exploring or considering employment in the featured career sectors. For more information visit the Totally Trades! website at totallytradesmaine.org or contact Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau at 207-768-9635 or senechal@maine.edu.

Funding for Totally Trades! is provided by Maine Career and Technical Education/MaineDOE and the Maine Department of Transportation. Additional support and in-kind contributions are provided by businesses and community partners.