High school girls attend Totally Trades Conference in Ellsworth

Nearly 100 high school girls from around Hancock County were able to get their hands dirty and learn about trade jobs and technology.

"To help them understand what could a career option look like that maybe they aren't comfortable with or haven't heard much about, but they're interested in getting some information."

They attended the Totally Trades conference at Hancock County Technical Center.

"Women have always kind of been seen as the homemakers and caretakers and are supposed to stay home with families and stuff like that, and we are really starting to change that with this generation. We want to make sure they're the next generation and are able to push forward with that even more."

The girls get to learn from professional tradeswomen from all over the area.

"So they can say this is a woman, this is somebody I can identify with, this is someone that has been successful, and is this something I could consider for myself."

Some of the workshops offered included heavy equipment, criminal justice, and emergency medical services.

"This is to help them explore if it really is just for the guys."

"It has always been kind of looked down upon that when a girl walks into a fire station or walks into an ambulance company, they see you are the weaker person or they see you as the smaller person that can't do it."

"There's not a lot of girls in tech, the multi-media one, and I think that sounds really fun, and I think I could be able to do it. You can do anything you want."

HCTC hopes to keep holding the conference and attracting more students to trades for years to come.