Plans are already underway to have another all-female course following the recent graduation of the first all-female Head Start to the Construction Trades (HTC) training program in Spokane, Washington.

The HTC program, which started in March 2016 and officially launched in April 2017, is free and has graduated about 50 people so far, 40 of whom have found permanent jobs in construction.

Over the course of six weeks, the seven women learned about carpentry, plumbing, welding and ironwork, as well as received OSHA, Forklift, First Aid and CPR certifications.

The overall goal of the program is to recruit more people, especially women and minorities, to the construction fields to alleviate the shortage of construction workers.

The next all-female class will be held in February in the Spokane area, though other programs may be available prior to then. The program is sponsored by the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors. To learn more, visit their Facebook page at https://facebook.com/headstarttotheconstructiontrades or call 509-319-4143.