Nevada Women in Trades
Nevada Woman In Trades founder Evelyn Pacheco attends a resource fair at the CSN Cheyenne campus.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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This week marks the 61st anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, a pivotal law that banned gender-based wage discrimination in the United States, revolutionizing our workforce. Enacted June 10, 1963, just two years prior to my birth, it’s evident that despite the significant progress we’ve made towards gender equality in our nation, the struggle for equal rights and equal pay remains present.
That’s why, in 2018, I fulfilled a life mission by founding the Nevada Women in Trades, a nonprofit organization that challenges the male dominated trades industry by empowering women of color across our state with opportunities in blue-collar jobs.
In 2007, I shattered a glass ceiling by becoming the first Black woman in Nevada to earn a plumber’s license, an achievement I reached as a disabled Army veteran. Now I’m making sure to keep the door open for other working women.
Seeking a better life, I relocated to Las Vegas with my children. Through an apprenticeship program, I juggled daytime work with evening classes, enabling me to provide for my family while also transforming my life. This experience relieved many personal and financial worries, and I discovered a new path and newfound empowerment as a woman in the trades.
Earlier this year, The U.S Department of Labor announced nearly $200 million in grants aimed at expanding and strengthening the Registered Apprenticeship programs. Funded by the Biden-Harris administration, these investments will cover apprenticeship programs in different industries, including information technology, health care, education and the blue-collar workforce to build a stronger middle and working class.
Entering the trades offers significant benefits. Not only does it provide good-paying jobs that secure a livable wage for diverse communities, but it also offers crucial health care and dental coverage essential to our well-being. Joining the trades is undeniably valuable, a fact everyone should acknowledge. It’s incredibly impactful when leaders invest in apprenticeship programs, because they provide a pathway to secure and stable jobs, even for women.
When the required qualifications are equal, specifically in the trades, compensation should be too. As women of color, the gender wage gap affects us disproportionately as our intersectional identities increase our likelihood of gender and race discrimination. In 2022, Black women received 66 cents for every dollar received by the typical white man. It is critical to note that apprenticeship programs are underused by women, despite there being major opportunities and benefits to these programs.
This is largely because there is still a prevailing male-centric culture within the trades, and such a gender disparity discourages women from exploring and seizing the diverse opportunities available to them.
Combating such disparities is crucial for all Nevadans. We need all the workers we can get — the trades are integral to Nevada’s economy, and federal investments are increasing job opportunities. Currently, Nevada is attracting manufacturing and mining, creating even more jobs, particularly due to the CHIPS Act passed through the Biden administration.
Through my nonprofit, we advocate for women who face underemployment or are reintegrating into society post-incarceration. My advocacy work extends beyond helping women physically join the trades, I’ve also fought for it in Nevada’s state house.
Despite the unfortunate veto of Assembly Bill 305, a bill designed to aid women in entering the trades, by the governor’s office, I remain steadfast in advancing this cause. I am dedicated to work with community members to guarantee that women in Nevada, including veterans and survivors of domestic violence, have access to opportunities in the trades by any means necessary.
As we commemorate the anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, we must reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and economic empowerment for all, specifically for those in marginalized communities. The trades provide a pathway to success for Black, Indigenous and women of color in Nevada and beyond, and it’s vital that we continue to bolster and uplift women in these fields.
Evelyn Pacheco is the founder of Nevada Women in Trades and a Las Vegas resident.
