More than a dozen local girls will take part in a construction skills camp this week at the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center in Fitchburg.
The free camp aims to teach girls ages 14 to 18 skills for careers in carpentry, electrical, interior design, architecture, siding, roofing and heavy machinery operation. The girls also will be connected with potential employment opportunities or mentoring.
The camp is part of a partnership between Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and the Madison Area Builders Association, an anchor tenant at the Fitchburg center that opened nearly a year ago to support girls learning skills for construction jobs and other trades. The association is providing volunteers to help staff the new camp.
“Ninety percent of the volunteers are female so not only can girls see that there’s females working in construction, but they are also able to start mentorship relationships,” said Stephanie Johnston, vice president of workforce development at Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. “There will be a lot of great connections with employers. We have over 100 volunteers through 25 companies that sponsored this camp.”
Boys & Girls Club of Dane County serves a diverse population of kids and teens. About half of those served identify as Black and a quarter identify as Hispanic or Latinx, Johnston said. The group of girls attending this week’s camp is diverse, too.
“That’s one of the things that helps our girls feel welcome and not isolated or that they don’t have anyone they can connect with,” Johnston said. “This helps create a safe, inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome.”
The Madison Area Builders Association says women represent 11% of careers in construction nationally and about 400,000 jobs are available nationwide. The organization said girls who join the workforce could help meet Dane County’s increasing demand for housing in the coming decades.
“This camp is my pride and joy, because I came out of the construction industry,” Johnston said. “We want girls to feel safe trying something new and using tools.”
Johnston said at least 16 girls are registered for the camp, which is being held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at the center. Attendees will also go out on field trips regularly.
The center at 5215 Verona Road is celebrating its first anniversary this week. The center is named after John McKenzie, who owns the McKenzie Apartment Company in Madison. McKenzie envisioned a place where trade skills like plumbing, electricity and construction could be taught to young people of color in particular.
McKenzie reached out to Boys & Girls Club of Dane County CEO Michael Johnson several years ago about building a community center that would have all of the tools, machinery and technology needed to train the next generation of skilled workers.
Michael Johnson of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County talks with Milwaukee Tools director of operations Chad Fryer at the McKenzie Center. The company donated $50,000 worth of tools.
According to Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, more than 250 youths have participated in programs at the center during the past year and over 20 students have been hired in the construction industry. The organization says nearly 70% of participants have been BIPOC and 40% of participants have been female.
“Reflecting on the remarkable journey of the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, we are filled with immense pride at the progress and impact we’ve made in just one year,” Johnson said in a statement about the center’s anniversary. “The collaboration between MABA and Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, along with our other partners, has been truly transformative.”
This week’s camp, “BLAZE: Girl Trailblazers in the Trades Camp,” will celebrate a graduation ceremony on July 19 at 3 p.m. at the center.
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