Our Mission

We prepare, train, and place women in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping them achieve economic independence and a secure future for themselves and their families. We provide a pipeline of qualified workers to industries that build, move, power, green, and maintain New York.

Our Vision

Since 1978, NEW has been a groundbreaking model that works for women and for New York City. NEW places and supports low-income women in trades careers through advanced training programs, an expanded employer base, and a growing number of opportunities available to women through those employers. NEW’s goal is to increase the number of women employed in trade careers, specifically those that offer strong wages, benefits, training and potential for advancement. These career paths have been historically less accessible to women but offer the opportunity to fundamentally transform one’s income and wealth. NEW focuses on placing and retaining graduates with New York City trade unions, public utilities, transportation authorities, and building operations companies. NEW’s objective is to continue to deepen efforts to train and prepare women for careers that provide sustainable financial support and stability for themselves and their families.

Our Impact

NEW helps women achieve economic independence, with a focus on women in underserved communities as well as individuals with underrepresented backgrounds including low-income girls, women, transgender, and non-binary individuals entering the building and construction trades in the New York City metropolitan area. For over 40 years of hard work and commitment, NEW has increased the number of women represented in trade careers in New York City from two to seven percent, with many apprenticeships approaching or exceeding 15 percent women. In the last ten years alone, NEW has placed women in over 3,000 industry careers. NEW graduates are working as carpenters, electricians, ironworkers, laborers, plumbers, and operating engineers as a result of unique partnerships between NEW, its Board of Directors, its Ambassador Council, the construction unions, and New York’s real estate industry. NEW is dedicated to changing the way society views the role of women in the workforce.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 3,500+ tradeswomen placed in industry careers since 2005

• 350+ students served through core programs annually

• 275+ graduates placed in careers annually

• 150+ employer partners connected to NEW,
  36 of which are unions and apprenticeships

• $19+ average starting hourly wages of NEW graduates

Board of Directors

CO-CHAIRS

Maureen Henegan | Henegan Construction Co., Inc.

Steve Sommer | Lendlease

VICE CHAIR

Aislinn McGuire | Kauff McGuire & Margolis LLP

BOARD MEMBERS

Ellen Albert | ViacomCBS

Anne Clark | Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.

Elizabeth Crowley | Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA)

Kathleen DeRose | NYU Stern School of Business

Ralph Esposito | Suffolk Construction

Maxine Finkelstein | Interactive Elements

Nicola Heryet | Avison Young

William Hill | BAC Local 7 of NY and NJ, Tile, Marble and Terrazzo

Joseph A. Ienuso | New York Presbyterian

Patricia Lancaster | The Lancaster Group

Leonard Legotte | International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local One

Cheryl McKissack Daniel | McKissack & McKissack 

Christopher Mills | Electra USA

Ambassador Council

CO-CHAIRS

Katie Nilsen | E-J Electric Installation Co.

Andis Woodlief | Turner Surety & Insurance Brokerage, Inc.

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Christine Barshtak | Finaly GC

Sarah Berman | The Berman Group, Inc.

Sheri Best | OnCentive 

Antonina Caruso | JRM Construction Management

Susan Clamage | Vocon

Raquel Diaz | Gilbane Building Company

Raffaela Dunne | Vanasse Hangen Brustlin

Julie Gaughan | RXR

Liana Grandinetti | Hunter Roberts Construction Group

Meredith Lovejoy | Lehrer Cumming

Nayada Lugji | Lendlease

Mary Mahany | Shawmut

Maria Martinson | Delta

Christine McHugh | White Strand Development, LLC

Jessica Moreno | DIRTT NY