Richard Walsh, president and CEO of Walsh Brothers; and Susan Moir, director of research for UMass Boston’s Labor Research Center
Boston – Walsh Brothers, Inc. has received the first annual Crushing Barriers for Women in Apprenticeship award from the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues (PGTI).
Walsh Brothers was honored by the organization for meeting the 10% workforce goal for women and exceeding the 25% workforce goal for people of color and was specifically cited for the company’s efforts in providing apprentices opportunities on the project, thereby training a diverse workforce for the construction of UMass Boston’s new $165 million Integrated Sciences Complex (ISC) building.
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Representatives from the City of Boston, including Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and Massachusetts Senator Linda Dorcena Forry attended the award ceremony to proclaim November 15, 2016, as “Women’s Apprenticeship Day,” celebrating PGTI’s efforts to bring attention to the need for more apprenticeship opportunities and for helping more women enter construction trades. According to the proclamation, while the number of tradeswomen on projects in Boston has doubled over the last six years, reaching 5%, women remain underrepresented in the building trades. Apprenticeships are seen as a direct and critical pathway for women to participate, especially in light of the rising costs of higher education.
The Walsh Brothers’ team of tradespeople on the UMass Integrated Sciences Complex project consisted of 10% women, far exceeding the national average of 2-3%.
“Joining both the Mayor’s Building Pathways program and the Building and Trades Unions’ long-time investment in developing a diverse workforce, we embraced and supported the Union’s apprenticeship programs. We’re the living proof. We crushed the barriers. When I was younger, 10% women, 25% people of color seemed unattainable. They are not! We are a 115-year old company, and look at what we are doing! The efforts by these organizations and individuals not only ensure that Walsh Brothers meets our workforce diversity goals, but it is feeding additional well-trained tradesmen and women to work on all projects throughout the region,” said Richard C. Walsh, President and CEO of Walsh Brothers, Incorporated.
