Skilled AF Podcast
Skilled AF Podcast
Podcast Description
Welcome to the Skilled AF Podcast, where we spotlight the trailblazers, powerhouses, and change-makers shaping the future of the skilled trades and construction industry. Hosted by Amanda Luchetti, founder of The Skilled Project, this podcast dives into raw conversations and authentic stories—unpacking the opportunities, challenges, and life-changing moments that define what it means to be "Skilled AF" while empowering the next generation of workers
The Skilled Project (https://www.theskilledproject.com/) is on a mission to inspire one million people to explore skilled trades and construction-related careers by 2028. Through storytelling, advocacy, and partnership-driven pathway creation, we’re aiming to make these careers more visible, valuable and accessible.
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Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a wide range of topics centered around skilled trades and the construction industry, including personal career journeys, mentorship, challenges in the workforce, and advocacy for women in trades. Notable episodes feature discussions about transitioning careers, like Hayley Campbell's leap into electrical work in her 30s, and Marie Patterson's initiatives to foster future leaders in construction education, emphasizing sustainability and job placement.
Welcome to the Skilled AF Podcast, where we spotlight the trailblazers, powerhouses, and change-makers shaping the future of the skilled trades and construction industry. Hosted by Amanda Luchetti, founder of The Skilled Project, this podcast dives into raw conversations and authentic stories with workers, educators, and innovators, that challenge culture, surface success stories and show what a better future for these careers can look like.
The Skilled Project (https://www.theskilledproject.com/) is on a mission to reshape how skilled trades and construction careers are seen, accessed, and experienced, so that more people enter, stay, and thrive.
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
In this episode of Skilled AF, we sit down with Brooke Laing, a third-year steamfitter and welder apprentice with UA Local 46 in Toronto, Canada, and Chief Strategy Officer of Sisterhood of the Trades, to explore what it’s really like navigating a career in the skilled trades as a woman. From dropping out of college and spending two years on a union waitlist, to navigating harassment on the job, to building the kind of community the industry has never offered women before.
She also breaks down the rise of Sisterhood of the Trades, the largest global interactive community connecting women across the skilled trades, with nearly 1,200 members across Canada, the US, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand — providing support, shared experiences, and a space to talk about what can’t always be said on the job site.
This conversation goes beyond surface-level diversity talk and gets into the real barriers, culture shifts, and opportunities shaping the future of women in the trades.
In this episode:
> What it’s like being a woman in the skilled trades
>The reality of job site culture
> Union apprenticeships and waitlist challenges
> Steepest learning curves as an apprentice
> Why women leave (and stay in) the trades
> How we grow the share of women in construction and the trades
> Sisterhood of the Trades and its global community
> The impact of the Amber Czech murder and the advocacy work they’re involved in
> The moment Brooke almost walked away
> Advice for women entering the trades
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Guest Info:
Brooke Laing, Steamfitter & Welder Apprentice, CSO, Sisterhood of the Trades
Connect with The Skilled Project:
Founder, Amanda Luchetti; ✉️: [email protected]
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Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
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This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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