Opening Doors to Non-Traditional Careers
What does “non-traditional” mean?
Non-traditional (non-trad) is used to describe a job or career path that typically has been predominated by one gender. For instance, more men have been employed as carpenters over the years, and more women have been employed as nurses.
Young people are encouraged and are likely to choose a career because of aptitudes and interests now, more than ever before in our workforce. Occupational challenges are not as gender-specific, as they are specific to the scope of the work.
There are outstanding female carpenters whose attention to detail and mathematical skills make them assets to the construction trades. And there are male nurses whose ability to handle complex situations and patient care make them terrific health care employees.
You can decide whether or not a non-traditional career path is right for you. Take our self-assessment find out if your interests match the skills needed in non-traditional employment.
How is a job identified as “non-traditional?”
An occupation that is “non-traditional” for women or men refers to an occupation in which less than 25 percent of the workers represent a specific gender. Historically, the greatest numbers of jobs identified as non-traditional in America are non-traditional for women. However, more people today than ever before are pursuing non-traditional careers because the advantages of these jobs matches their skills, interests and goals.
Career Technical Education opens doors by expanding training options for all people regardless of their gender, race, or creed. You can review non-traditional programs available through Washington’s community and technical colleges to explore careers that may be right for you.
Many national and state organizations conduct research on non-traditional employment issues and progress, and offer resources for non-traditional training programs, support for workers, and outreach materials.
Tech Prep consortia and their participating colleges and schools showcase their best practices in non-traditional career promotion and training through this website.