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VWW Graduates First Trailblazers of 2025

by Jillian Scannell

South Burlington Trailblazers graduates pose with their certificates

 

The graduation of our South Burlington Trailblazers cohort in May marked our 19th class and a total of 199 graduates of the program! Trailblazers is our free, seven-week trades training program for women and gender-expansive individuals ages 18+.   

Trailblazers spent the first few classes getting familiar with a variety of power tools, with a chance to experiment and get comfortable with their many uses. After an introduction to construction drawing and math, the Trailblazers were ready to start in on their first project.

Each cohort has a chance to build their skills while giving back to their community. For South Burlington, our Trailblazers built two beautiful hexagonal picnic tables and raised garden beds for Spectrum Youth and Family Services in Burlington. The crew split up into teams, focusing on certain elements of each piece, then come back together to assemble the finished products! 

Trailblazers pose inside a raised garden bed they built

 

 

 

 

In addition to carpentry and construction, Trailblazers also spent a few days learning other trades like electrical and solar installation. Erika Weliczko of the Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) spent one Saturday instructing electrical and the Trailblazer got to wire lights and outlets in a staged wall. Erika will be teaching electrical for our other three Trailblazers cohorts in 2025 too. 

With the help of Amber Lessard, current VWW board member and solar instructor for the class, participants also had an introduction in solar installation and maintenance. Trailblazers put the wooden frame together of a solar array and mounted two full-sized solar panels on top.

 

 

 

Record Number of Work Experiences

This cohort had the most participants do work experiences of any Trailblazers class. Nine employers, ranging from sole proprietors to solar companies to design build firms, hosted 13 Trailblazers. Participating in a work experience with a local employer is a engaging opportunity for participants to use their new skills and get direct on-the-job experience in a field that interests them. Participants shared some highlights of their work experiences:

  • Green Mountain Solar hosted a Trailblazer who helped install solar panels and learned about both roof and ground-mounted arrays.
  • Another participant spent two days at the South Burlington Water and Wastewater Treatment plant where she learned about where our drinking water comes from and how our wastewater gets treated.
  • The Otter Brook Carpentry crew encouraged Trailblazers to get hands-on experience by assisting in installing siding and a deck. Participants felt welcomed by the crew, who were patient teachers and took time to explain the “why” of each process.
  • Montpelier Construction, who also employs one of our instructors, hosted an intern at two-week intervals throughout the class. The Trailblazer noted what a great perspective it was to see the progress the crew had made between her visits.

Graduating another amazing Trailblazers cohort has been a bright spot in an otherwise challenging month, when we received a termination notice for our substantial federal WANTO grant (which was intended to support the other three Trailblazers cohorts in 2025, among other initiatives). We are committed to continuing the important work of training women and gender-expansive individuals in high-need industries like the trades. As one participant shared “Trailblazers has given me confidence that women in trades can be successful and that I have the necessary skills to start.”

Trailblazers is supported by the Hart Foundation, TD Bank, and the Vermont Department of Labor. 

 

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