MINNEAPOLIS — A new partnership in the Twin Cities is helping single moms who are struggling to make ends meet carve out a career path to change their lives.
It starts at Dunwoody College of Technology, which is now collaborating with Raise the Barr , a nonprofit with a leader who has navigated similar challenges of going to school while raising a child alone.
Together, they’ve created a support system ready to help moms better their family’s lives.
Working with your hands, heavy machinery and emerging technologies are what lure students to Dunwoody College. It has more than 45 programs focused on technical education, putting people in career fields that right now are dominated by men.
“Unfortunately, women are underrepresented in the trades, and we want to change that and eliminate that disparity,” said Bayza Weeks, Dunwoody’s executive director of community partnerships.
She also helps manage the school’s Women in Technical Careers (WITC) scholarship program. It helps pay for tuition (up to $10,000/year), childcare, books, along with mentoring to encourage women to enter the trades. Automotive, HVAC and construction are among the more popular routes women choose.