First All-Girls Team Competes in SkillsUSA Illinois, but Barriers Persist in Trades

For the first time in the 60-year history of SkillsUSA Illinois, an all-female team competed in the statewide architecture and construction competition this spring — a small but meaningful milestone in an industry still grappling with deep-rooted disparities.

Held at the Peoria Civic Center, the competition drew hundreds of high schoolers eager to demonstrate their skills in fields ranging from cosmetology to car repair. But amid the celebrations, the four-member all-girls team from Bloomington Area Career Center — Amyla Walls, Aubrey Levin, Kayhl Miles, and Catelin Wesley — quietly broke new ground.

“They’re going to be like, ‘You’re the first all-female team,’ and I’m going to be like, ‘Please don’t look at my electrical,’” Levin joked after learning the team’s historic distinction.

Their participation spotlights broader inequities in Illinois’ construction workforce. For the past decade, women have filled fewer than 10% of construction jobs in the state, with women accounting for less than 5% of new apprentices prior to 2021. The national picture isn’t much brighter — only 1 in 20 U.S. construction workers is a woman.

Moreover, those who do enter the field often earn less. In 2024, female construction apprentices in Illinois earned 36 cents less per hour than men at entry level, and the gap widened to $1.41 after completing training.

“It did get people to think sort of outside the box,” said Jayne Vellinga, executive director of Chicago Women in Trades, about recent government efforts to promote workforce diversity. She noted the momentum came from a “perfect storm” of worker shortages, federal funding, and a looming construction boom.

However, she fears recent rollbacks — including the reversal of federal diversity mandates — may stall progress.

“There is definitely a change in narrative also at the federal level,” Vellinga warned, pointing to rising opposition to DEI efforts.

Harassment Still Common

The Bloomington team said even as high schoolers, they encountered hostility and inappropriate comments during the competition. Levin recalled being mocked by peers while injured and trying not to cry.

“Not here,” she said. “You can’t cry, because then you’re soft.”

Team members described frequent double-meaning jokes from male peers, where failing to laugh meant being labeled uptight.

“You’re like a bad person for not laughing at a really bad joke,” Miles said.
“What, are you on your period or something?” was another frequent taunt, Levin noted.

These experiences are not isolated. National research shows nearly half of tradeswomen who left the industry did so due to workplace harassment or lack of respect. Only 6% said physical demands drove them out.

Barriers Go Beyond Gender

For people of color, challenges compound. In 2024, white apprentices still made up over 75% of Illinois’ new registrants. Black apprentices earned less than white counterparts — a gap that grew to nearly $4/hour post-completion.

“Latinos are represented in construction, but where?” asked Manny Rodriguez, executive director of Revolution Workshop in Chicago.
“You got no problem breaking my brown body, but you’re not letting me do the other things.”

Rodriguez emphasized that employer bias often means workers of color are hired for one job, then left out of the next — contributing to higher dropout rates.

Mentorship and Representation Matter

Mentorship and visible role models make a difference. Nearly two-thirds of tradeswomen surveyed cited guidance from other women as crucial to advancement.

“I always got excited when I saw a girl,” Miles said.
“I’m not the only one who actually enjoys this.”

For Walls, the only Black member of the team, that kind of visibility is still rare.

“I don’t see a lot of women, let alone Black women, doing construction,” she said. “I wish I had someone to relate to.”

Yet their participation, they hope, is one step toward a more inclusive future.

“It doesn’t matter if we win,” Wesley said. “The fact that we have taken a step like this for us, but also for other females in the trades, it’s a huge deal.”

• State Efforts: Illinois Works, a state-funded pre-apprenticeship program launched in 2021, recently received an additional $19 million in funding to strengthen the talent pipeline.
• National Stats: A 2023 U.S. Department of Labor report found that women accounted for 4.5% of apprentices but made up 6% of cancellations.
• Health Risks: Hispanic workers, while numerically strong in the construction workforce, continue to occupy the most physically dangerous roles, experiencing disproportionately high injury rates.
• Future Outlook: Advocates say that without accountability, funding alone won’t move the needle. A cultural shift in how women and minorities are treated on job sites remains essential to lasting change.

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Originally reported by Maggie Dougherty and Medill Illinois News Bureau in Capitol News Illinois.