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For Women’s History Month, ������’s Orange County Campus hosted Women Owning the Workforce (WOW), a hands-on conference for high school girls to give insight into traditionally male-dominated careers in fields including welding, landscaping, architecture, electrical, firefighting, wood turning, automotive, general carpentry and owning your own contracting business.  

The conference was held in partnership with Hope Renovations, the Homebuilders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties, and ������’s own Power of Us program.   

“The WOW skilled trades conference for high school girls was a success due to the wonderful support from local businesses and key partnerships between ������, Orange County Schools, the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties and Hope Renovations,” said Lena Angelichio-Miller, ������ Career Coach for Grant-Funded 
College Recruitment & High School Partnerships. “It was especially relevant to hold this event during Women's History Month to encourage and empower young women to consider exploring high-demand careers in traditionally male-dominated trades.”  

There were 46 ninth- through 12^th-grade girls in attendance from Orange County Schools. 

Angelichio-Miller said she created and developed the event because of her role as a career coach for ������/Orange County Schools. She often has teen girls come into her office for career guidance with a limited vision for what is possible in their future. Many want to pursue a career in cosmetology or manicuring, or she hears many girls say they want to be social media influencers or actresses.  

“Once I show them some data about salary projections or job availability, they begin to rethink their options. Some young ladies come to see me with no ideas of what they want to do at all, because they don't know what opportunities are available,” Angelichio-Miller said. “My goal is not to squash existing ambitions, but to encourage them to consider more possibilities by cultivating curiosity through hands-on experiences.” 

Students took a pre-conference survey where they were asked what they would choose as a career if asked to pick that very day and what they hoped to learn at the conference. 

Some possible careers shared included sonography, woodworking, culinary and dentistry.  The most popular answer to what they hoped to learn at the event was options for their futures.  

A conference exit survey was also done. From it leaders learned most students indicated that having women lead the workshops mattered because it helped them feel more comfortable and encouraged. Participants also indicated that they knew more about skilled-trade careers than before the conference, and the group as a whole was slightly more likely to pursue a career in the trades than prior to attending.  

The survey also asked for open feedback about the most challenging thing they did at the conference. The question elicited answers such as “ride on a standing lawnmower,” “woodworking,” “trying to turn on a chainsaw,” “electric wiring and getting a light bulb to light up” and “learning about automotive.”   

Angelichio-Miller said that both students and workshop leaders have already inquired about whether there will be a WOW Conference next year. She’s hoping to make it happen again with expanded offerings such as outdoor education/wilderness medicine, plumbing, culinary and forensics.