Northern helping women make their mark in lucrative fields

Montana State University-Northern is providing a free seminar to women to provide an overview of possible career paths in the technical fields Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The seminar is being put on by Northern’s Multicultural Center.

Center director Cristina Estrada-Underwood said women who are about to start school at Northern, want to change careers or will be attending college in a year or two are all welcome to attend.

Estrada-Underwood said the seminar will also go over the possible circumstances that women might encounter in a field where male enrollment is prevalent and most of their co-workers are male.

She added that participants will be performing hands-on activities with welding, agricultural technology, plumbing and automotive technology. Information on classes they would need to take for each of the programs will be provided as well as information on job opportunities.

A tour of Northern’s campus will be given along with information regarding student activities, financial aid and career services, Estrada-Underwood said.

The dean of The College of Technical Sciences and the director of the Office of Diversity Awareness and Multicultural Programs will welcome participants. Each of the five stations will be guided by Nothern faculty as well as female students currently enrolled in automotive, agricultural, plumbing, welding and electrical technology, she added.

General information about campus life will be provided by the dean of students, staff from the Financial Aid Office and the director of the Career Center.

Estrada-Underwood said workshops like this are “important because they expand the horizon in regards to career opportunities for women in technology and trades that initially they might not even consider.”

She added it also is important because some of the workshops could lead to well-paid jobs and some of them emphasize the possibility of economic independence, like the participants becoming their own bosses as plumbers or electricians.

Estrada-Underwood said the information provided helps to break stereotypes as well.

The Women in Technical Fields seminar is free and people who are interested can register through the Northern Multicultural Center website at https://www.msun.edu/multiculturalcenter/ or by calling the center at 406-265-3589. Registration is open until 5 p.m. Tuesday.