Prestigious diversity award recognizes innovative effort to recruit tradeswomen

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), in conjunction with the Northeast Center for Tradeswomen’s Equity (NCTE), is pleased to announce that the “Build A Life That Works” campaign is a recipient of a 2018 Rosoff Award. The Ad Club’s Rosoff Awards, now in its 22nd year, honors excellence in meaningful diversity practice and recognizes organizations and individuals who are successfully changing the face of some of New England’s largest companies and brands.

Launched by MGC and NCTE in November 2017, the “Build A Life That Works” recruitment initiative seeks to inspire women to pursue a career in the union building trades as a viable path to equal pay for equal work, excellent benefits, and a better future. This first-of-its-kind, statewide effort aims to increase tradeswomen in the building trades to 20% by 2020.

MGC Commissioner Bruce Stebbins accepted the award on May 22, 2018, during a ceremony at the State Room in Boston, Mass. The Ad Club’s annual Rosoff event has become one of New England’s premier diversity celebrations, honoring companies with meaningful diversity, mentoring and inclusion programs, and individuals who display a personal commitment to workplace diversity and an inclusive environment.

“We are thrilled to be recognized with this distinguished award and wish to thank our many partners who continue to make this initiative a success,” said Commissioner Stebbins. “It is gratifying that the state’s new gaming industry has been the galvanizing force behind this campaign. As Massachusetts continues to experience a historic building boom with casino development at the forefront, we hope this program will be a catalyst for a future of economic opportunity for women and that it will benefit the Commonwealth for years to come.”

Massachusetts is a nationally recognized leader in the movement to employ women in the union trades; however, female construction workers, currently representing 7.6% in apprenticeships statewide, still remain underrepresented in these high wage careers. As a response to the ongoing challenge of underrepresentation, MGC and NCTE formed a unique partnership and sought the collaboration of additional strategic partners to develop a tradeswomen recruitment initiative that offers a tangible, long-term solution to a chronic issue.

The “Build A Life That Works” campaign taps into the insight that women could enjoy a rewarding career in the construction trades — if they would only consider the opportunity. To break down the barriers of awareness and consideration, “Build A Life That Works” illustrates not just the benefits of a career with promising growth but also shares the great pride in building a legacy of Massachusetts developments. The campaign features real women in the building trades, now enjoying home ownership, quality time with their families, world travel and many more life moments and experiences, made possible with a career in construction.

“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition and are grateful to our partners for their continued commitment. Through our sustained campaign outreach and associated programs such as Tradeswomen Tuesdays, we are providing women from across the state with the opportunity to learn more about family-sustaining careers in union construction,” said Elizabeth Skidmore, NCTE co-founder and business representative for the New England Regional Council of Carpenters. “The sheer volume of interest from women, since the launch of this effort, proves that when given the information and invitation, women DO want to do this work.”

The core educational component of this initiative is a mobile-enabled, user-friendly website BuildALifeMA.org. The site provides a hub of valuable career information and practical guidance. As part of a sustained outreach and education effort, the campaign promotes its message through advertising, marketing, grassroots events and digital strategies. Advertising includes in-kind signage donation from the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103 (IBEW), the City of Boston and the City of Everett. Printed posters, brochures, and fliers are also available for distribution at career centers, community centers, vocational-technical schools and other targeted locations including construction sites.

MGC and NCTE contracted with a marketing firm, KHJ Brand Activation, to develop the full brand concept and comprehensive communications campaign including a website, promotional materials, and digital and mobile strategies to increase awareness and outreach.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Website: www.BuildALifeMa.org

Twitter: @BuildALifeMA

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BuildALifeMA/

PROGRAM PARTNERS

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, Penn National (Plainridge Park Casino), the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, the City of Boston, the City of Everett, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Northeast Center for Tradeswomen’s Equity whose principal partners include the Building Pathways Inc., the Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District (MetroBTC), the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues

About NCTE

The Northeast Center for Tradeswomen’s Equity (NCTE) is a Massachusetts-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping women find careers in the union building trades. This isn’t just a campaign; it’s a movement with a big goal: to have 20% women in the building trades by 2020. The principal partner groups include Massachusetts AFL-CIO (MA AFL-CIO), Building Pathways (BPI), the Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District (MetroBTC), the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC) and the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues (PGTI). This multi-stakeholder collaboration brings together a leadership team with decades of experience and a proven track record of success in increasing access and opportunities for women and people of color to enter careers in the union building trades in Massachusetts.