Up First from NPR – The Sunday Story

Episode: "Women in the Skilled Trades Face New Hurdles"

Date: February 1, 2026
Host: Ayesha Rascoe
Guest: Andrea Hsu, NPR Labor & Workplace Correspondent

Episode Overview

In this episode, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe and labor reporter Andrea Hsu dive deep into the current crossroads for women in the skilled trades, notably construction. With President Trump championing a return to skilled labor over college degrees while overseeing a federal rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, many fear hard-won progress for women in these fields could be reversed. Through stories from the ground, policy analysis, and personal testimony, the episode interrogates who is included in this new vision for the American workforce—and who might be left out.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Skilled Trades Renaissance—But For Whom?

• President Trump promotes skilled trades over college pathways and calls to "Make America Skilled Again," notably with labor department messaging.

• Concerns are raised about whether this renaissance includes women, especially as the administration attempts to dismantle DEI initiatives that have supported their entry.

  "Now, under President Trump, we are refocusing on these critical careers. The new era of American dominance will be forged not by woke universities, but by the grit of our skilled workers." – [00:26], Labor Department Instagram excerpt

2. Tradeswomen: Building a Movement

• Andrea Hsu attends the Tradeswomen Build Nations conference in Chicago—around 5,000 women strong.

• Despite excitement, women comprise less than 5% of construction sites’ hands-on workforce, and can often be the only woman present.

  "Getting to spend a couple days with thousands of other tradeswomen, you can just imagine the energy." – Andrea Hsu, [03:59]

3. Pathways Into the Trades: Stories from Apprentices

• Spotlight on Chicago Women in Trades, a nonprofit creating pathways into high-paying construction jobs for women via federally-funded programs.

• Apprentices like Kaylee Jensen transition into plumbing from unrelated careers (film editing), motivated by AI-fueled labor shifts and the practical value of trades.

  "In 2020 with the explosion of TikTok... I just very much saw AI coming down the pipeline, taking my job.” – Kaylee Jensen, [06:08]

  "If, like, a bunch of men can do it, I could figure it out." – Kaylee Jensen, [06:56]

• The program covers everything from blueprints to physical conditioning (e.g., lifting 76 lb pipes), and introduces women to various unions.

4. Value and Stigma: Retelling the Narrative

• Tradeswomen debunk myths about intelligence and physical demands; affirm necessity, skill, and societal benefit of their work.

  "Society needs people like us to function... that kind of stigma of it’s work for stupid people is going away because it's quite complicated what we do... It's physical and mental work." – Kaylee Jensen, [09:20]

5. Threats to Progress: Federal Policy Rollbacks

• The Trump administration has rescinded key DEI executive orders and funding, jeopardizing organizations like Chicago Women in Trades.

• Policies previously required contractors to set hiring goals for women (e.g., 6.9% participation), and to partner with organizations supporting women’s entry.

  “President Trump signed two executive orders attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion... He canceled funding for DEI-related initiatives… Trump has also ended longstanding federal policies aimed at preventing discrimination and opening doors for women in construction.” – Andrea Hsu, [10:31], [16:21]

• These removals sow uncertainty for recruitment, retention, and support structures for women.

6. Unions Respond: Shifting Support and New Benefits

• Some unions, like Ironworkers International, have responded to tradeswomen’s needs (e.g., maternity leave).

  "We were at this conference in 2016... one of the women got up and told her horrendous story... she had a miscarriage. The president says: God, I feel like such a dope... Figure out how we can do this." – Vicki O’Leary, Ironworkers, [12:03]

  “We've had over 200 women use the policy... so we've grown 200 babies. Not really, but our family’s gotten bigger.” – Vicki O’Leary, [12:49]

• Some employers now specifically request tradeswomen for jobs, especially in fields where concentration and dexterity are key (welding, commercial painting).

7. The Administration’s Response—and Its Imagery

• White House statements focus on “skilled, competent, and eager construction workers,” with little mention of women.

• Official talent strategy documents and social media posts project a nostalgic, 1950s-era vision populated almost entirely by white men.

  “Instead of DEI boondoggles that accomplish nothing, the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for Americans of all backgrounds to help build our next golden age.” – White House spokesman, [19:10]

  "I'm seeing a lot of white people, but, yeah, it's a very particular perspective." – Ayesha Rascoe, [21:56]

• Administration frames DEI targets as “illegal,” but leaves the definition ambiguous, chilling organizations’ willingness to engage in outreach.

  "Trump has now told contractors, you must not engage in, quote, illegal dei. But the administration has not defined what constitutes illegal dei." – Andrea Hsu, [17:48]

8. Setbacks and Resilience: Tradeswomen’s Future

• The end of decades-old programs due to legal risk—such as “Sisters in the Brotherhood”—hits hard for veterans.

  “It's very ironic that you can have a Brotherhood of Carpenters... but you can't have, because of DEI, Sisters in the Brotherhood.” – Kena McAfee, [25:23]

• Despite setbacks, experienced tradeswomen like McAfee return to mentor the next generation via community organizations.

  "Women are committed, we're committed. We see what's out there, and we see the difference between being on a job where you're the only woman and being on the job with other women there. It's... such an amazing difference." – Kena McAfee, [26:26]

• Not lost is the parallel: For some, entering the trades decades ago required lawsuits, and new legal battles are underway to keep the doors open.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On industry pride:
  "I can point to all the buildings I work to, and every carpenter does that. I built that building.” – Kena McAfee, [24:26]

• On the urgent impact of federal policy:
  "You cannot look at the workforce of the construction trades and say, Oh, they've taken DEI too far... we have a long way to go." – Jane Vilinga, Chicago Women in Trades, [18:36]

• On nostalgia in government messaging:
  "Remember, back in the 50s, it wasn’t illegal to keep someone out of a job based on their sex or race. This is the era that the Labor Department has chosen to embrace." – Andrea Hsu, [23:06]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:22] – Labor Department's video: "Make America Skilled Again"
• [02:38] – Andrea Hsu joins to discuss women in the trades
• [05:26] – Apprentice stories: mistakes & learning on the job
• [06:08] – Impact of AI on non-trade careers
• [09:20] – Breaking trade stigmas and complexity of the work
• [10:31] – Federal rollback of DEI initiatives explained
• [12:03] – Ironworkers' maternity leave policy
• [14:35] – Painters union’s goal for women’s participation
• [16:21] – Historic federal policies aiding women in construction rescinded
• [17:48] – Contractors told to avoid “illegal DEI”—but little guidance
• [19:10] – White House response (no mention of women)
• [21:56] – Critique of administration’s retrograde visual messaging
• [23:57] – Kena McAfee’s story of entering, teaching, and staying in trades
• [25:03] – Loss of “Sisters in the Brotherhood” program
• [26:26] – The difference mentorship and peer support makes for tradeswomen

Conclusion

This episode paints a vivid, human-centered picture of what’s at stake as national leadership redirects the focus of the American workforce. The Trump administration’s anti-DEI stance and the resulting policy rollbacks throw longstanding support systems for women in the trades into jeopardy, threatening progress even as labor demand soars. But as the personal stories reveal, women continue to build, advocate, and resist—much as they have for decades—to ensure their place in America’s skilled future.