Washington, D.C., Local 26 members were on hand in August to show off the benefits of an electrical career to high school girls at a construction camp organized by the National Association of Women in Construction.

"Each one of those young ladies did things they did not think possible because of their size and age," said Local 26 President Tom Myers, who was one of the members providing instruction. "We told them they would be successful, and they were."

Myers was joined by other Local 26 members who attended the one-day event Aug. 2 at Thomas Edison High School in Silver Spring, Md. The workshop involved lectures, demonstrations and hands-on examples where the students engaged with the materials, tools, techniques and math used by electricians in the field.

"This is a small piece of the different outreach programs we have at Local 26," Business Manager Joe Dabbs said. "One of the benefits is keeping us close to the community and sharing the opportunities available to them while they are figuring out a path forward in life."

In addition to showing what electricians do, the instructors also explained the benefit they provide to society and the importance of an education.

"We made sure to mention that college is not the only way to get an education; it's just the most expensive," Myers said.

The girls were attentive and excited to do the hands-on work like bending pipe and wiring switched lights, Myers said.

"They all got a kick out of turning them on for the first time," he said.

That enthusiasm is important, considering the construction labor shortage and influx of new work opportunities coming from recent federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And while women are underrepresented in the trades, Myers and his colleagues made sure to let them know that women are just as capable as men and that, if they're in a union, they'll be paid the same.

"These are head-of-household careers that these young women can be successful in without going into debt," Myers said. "We made it clear that the trades offer everyone an opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives in a positive and financially rewarding way."