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About us

Background to WAMT

Added: 9 October 2007. Last updated: 17 January 2008.

Women and Manual Trades is the national organisation for tradeswomen and women training in the trades.

WAMT was formed in 1975, and to our knowledge, was the first group formed by women to promote working inconstruction and building servicesas a positive and enjoyable option for women. More information about our history can be found in our publication ‘Building the Future – 25 years of Women and Manual Trades’ available from our offices.

Today, we aim to represent and support women working and training in skilled manual and craft occupations in industries where women are under-represented. We are providing, and developing, services that respond to the needs of our members. We want to increase the number of tradeswomen working in industries where they are underrepresented and to help them improve their prospects and economic capacity.

Though there is great press attention given to women working in non-traditional occupations, there are in fact very few women working in today’s construction industry.Those that do often feel isolated andface sexism and harrassment. However the construction industry, suffering from a skills shortage, is keen to recruit women to the trades.

WAMT works in partnership with training bodies, employers, public sector organisations and tradeswomen to address the issues that prevent women entering, orcontinuing to work in,the trades.

WAMT is funded by the London Development Agency,the Wates Foundation,the Learning and Skills Council, Equal, London Councilsandthe European Social Fund.

Our registered office is at 52-54 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT Telephone No: 020 7251 9192. Fax No: 020 7251 9193 Email: info@wamt.org

Women and Manual Trades is a registered charity no: 1063652 and company limited by guarantee no: 2962569.