BOSTON— Hundreds of young women from high schools across Greater Boston will gather next week to explore hands-on, high-paying careers in the union construction industry at the 10th Annual Massachusetts Girls in Trades (MAGIT) Eastern Conference & Career Fair, taking place Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at IBEW Local 103 in Dorchester.
The annual event connects girls enrolled in career and technical education programs with tradeswomen, union apprenticeship programs, and industry leaders who are shaping the future of the Massachusetts construction workforce. The conference encourages students to consider union trades as a pathway to financial independence and lifelong careers built on skill, strength, and community.
This year’s conference will welcome Governor Maura Healey and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones, who will join Massachusetts Building Trades Unions President Frank Callahan and hundreds of students, educators, and industry mentors.
Following a record-breaking 2024 event that drew more than 650 students from 40 schools statewide, the 2025 conference will feature the launch of the MAGIT Alum Network — a new initiative connecting graduates with mentors, networking opportunities, and career support as they enter the trades.
For many students, MAGIT has been a transformative experience. IBEW Local 103 apprentice Darian Santos credits the program for introducing her to a career that gave her “skills, confidence, and a sisterhood.” Student leader Aileen Fiestas of Medford Vocational Technical School says the program inspired her to help other girls “find their voice” and pride in their technical skills.
According to Callahan, women now comprise over 11% of all union building trades apprentices in Massachusetts, tripling the national average and representing a twofold increase since 2012. Union apprenticeship programs, he noted, offer industry-leading wages, benefits, and free training that open a debt-free pathway to the middle class.
The Massachusetts Girls in Trades initiative, launched in 2015, is a partnership among schools, unions, and government agencies committed to helping young women pursue high-skilled, well-paying careers in construction.
For more information about the conference and the organization’s statewide initiatives, visit MassGirlsinTrades.org
