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 to 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 are members of the sex in question. Since women have historically been much more restricted than men in terms of the types of jobs they could hold, the greatest number of non-traditional jobs in America today are non-traditional for women. Major tasks of career and technical education are to end sex discrimination, sex bias, and sex stereotyping and to expand the number of skill training options open to women.