HCC Hosts Historic 'Jill of All Trades' Skilled Trades Showcase for Girls
Dozens of young women filed into Howard Community College’s Rouse Company Foundation Student Service Hall, each wearing a bright orange Jill of All Trades sweatshirt and carrying a matching backpack. They came from Howard County high schools with different schedules, different interests, and different ideas about what their futures might look like.
By the end of the day, many of them would share at least one thing: the realization that a career in the skilled trades might be exactly what they’ve been looking for.
This was HCC’s inaugural Jill of All Trades event, making HCC the first community college in Maryland to host the program. Founded in 2014 by Conestoga College in Ontario, Canada, Jill of All Trades is a growing North American initiative that inspires young women in grades 9 through 12 to explore careers in the skilled trades through hands-on workshops, facility tours, and mentorship from women working in the field.
“We are honored to host these dynamic young women who understand the importance of discovering career options even in high school,” said HCC President Daria J. Willis. “We want them all to think boldly about their interests and earning potential, so that they can provide for themselves, their families, their communities, and the future of industry. I could not be prouder of them and this community for supporting them.”
HCC’s decision to bring the model to Maryland reflects the college’s commitment to expanding access and representation in a workforce where women still make up fewer than 4 percent of workers in many trade occupations. According to the organization, Jill of All Trades is tracking to reach 35 host institutions and more than 100 events across North America by the end of the year.
The college made the occasion even bigger by pairing it with the ceremonial topping off of the Cathy and Danny Bell Workforce Development and Trades Center, the 50,000 square foot facility opening this fall that will anchor skilled trades education in Howard County.
Visiting luminaries included Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, State Delegate Gabriel Moreno and former Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, Board of Trustees Chair Vivian Moore Lawyer, Trustee Dr. Carl Perkins, HCC Educational Foundation Vice-Chair and former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, Gilbane Building Company Project Manager Dan Kodan, and HCC President Daria J. Willis each joined the students in signing the beam. Their signatures will be sealed inside the building when the beam is placed, becoming a permanent part of a center designed to open doors for people exactly like them.
The Bell Center represents a $43 million public and private investment launched by Dr. Willis in 2023. When it opens, it will house programs in automotive technology, manufacturing, mechatronics, welding, and more in an all-electric, energy-efficient facility pursuing LEED v4 Silver certification.
Two milestones. One room. One message: the future of the trades is being built right here in Howard County, and young women are part of its foundation.