CYGNET, Ohio — One local organization is stepping up to help inspire young women to pursue a career in a male-dominated world.
The apprenticeship program in Cygnet had about 112 young high school girls participating. They learned how to operate heavy machinery and many attending said this program gives them hope for the future.
SheDig is a two-day event giving high school girls who are juniors and seniors a hands-on experience.
Rylan Rudd was one of those seniors from Tri-Rivers Career Center in Marion. She plans to join Local 18 once she graduates high school.
"Meeting different people is a big goal for me and I want to be able to maybe one day travel in my trade and stuff," Rudd said.
DeCarlos Hall is an instructor with Local 18 Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship. He said they started this apprenticeship program back in 2019 and it's been growing ever since.
"We have a record number of females this year. So I'm hoping that we're hoping to break that number next year and have an even higher record number of females next year," Hall said. "We want to continue, continue with growing," said Hall.
A recent graduate and now current Local 18 crane operator Kristina Lee returned this year to show younger women they can make a career out of this kind of work too.
"I think it's a huge step for us women to be stepping up and kind of stepping into a male-dominated workforce," Lee said. "Sometimes it can be hard to put yourself out there and go against the grain, to say. So I think that it's definitely encouraging that a lot more women are finding an interest and finding a place."
Lee said it's very encouraging to see more women who are looking into the trade of engineering as a possibility.
"It means a lot to know that other women are there to help support you too because sometimes it can be challenging," Lee said. "You feel kind of sometimes isolated if you're the only female on the job, but with this new uprise of young women who are looking into the trade, it's very encouraging."
Instructors said the goal is to add an additional 100 young women every year, while also adding a third day for training.