You are using an outdated browser.
For a better experience, please upgrade your browser here.

Lean In Circles for Union Tradeswomen

Connecting and empowering women in the trades through Lean In Circles

Join Lean In’s virtual mentorship program & break new ground in the trades!

Join a Circle

About the program

Lean In Circles are at the heart of our global community of women who come together to support each other. Now, Lean In Circles for Union Tradeswomen brings tradeswomen together in small groups online to connect, share advice, and build community. Created in partnership with North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), AFL-CIO, and Build Together, this program helps you gain practical skills for navigating bias at work and advocating for yourself and other women in the trades. Watch the video to hear directly from tradeswomen who’ve participated in Circles.

How Circles work

Virtual Support
network

You choose a Circle that works best for your schedule. Each Circle is a group of 8 or more tradeswomen across experience levels, trades, and locations. Any Union tradeswoman is eligible to participate in a Circle. Enjoy a tight-knit support group, while getting connected to tradeswomen across North America.

Monthly video
meetings

Circles meet once a month for 90 minutes for guided discussion, camaraderie, and action. Each meeting covers a specific topic, such as how to respond when your abilities are questioned. At the end of each meeting, tradeswomen commit to one action they plan to take to advance their career or make their jobsite more equal.

Custom
Materials

Each meeting features content and tools created for tradeswomen, by tradeswomen. Use discussion guides and free learning material to help guide meetings and learn new skills together.

Lead a Circle

Whether you're an apprentice or a journeyman, your Circle is a safe space to connect with other tradeswomen, mentor and support each other, and build skills and confidence to overcome challenges you’re facing on your jobsite.

Want to take a leadership role in this program? Every Circle has a leader who organizes the group, schedules monthly meetings and guides the discussions. We provide you with a Circle Leader training that gives you everything you need to run a successful Circle, helping you hone your leadership and organizing skills in the process. If you’re interested, sign up to be a Circle Leader below.

Lead a Circle

About the Partnership

Lean In Circles for Union Tradeswomen is a joint initiative from LeanIn.Org, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), AFL-CIO (The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations), and Build Together, a workforce development program from Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU).

NABTU is a labor federation of 14 national and international union affiliates and is dedicated to the stability of employment and economic security of organized construction workers in North America.

AFL-CIO is democratic, voluntary federation of 56 national and international labor unions that represent 12.5 million working men and women.

Build Together is a workforce development program focused on the recruitment and retention of workers from underrepresented portions of the population. It is a program from Canada's Building Trades Union (CBTU).

Join Lean In Circles for Union Tradeswomen

FAQs