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<p class="MsoTitle" align="left" style="text-align:left"><u>PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>FOR: IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 11.9.17</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<h1><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">FROM: YWCA MISSOULA<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>CONTACT: Margaret Hoyt, 543-6691<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<h2 style="margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:-1.5in"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase">SUBJECT:</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> “The YWCA GUTS! Program,
GRIT, hosts all-female trade expo” <o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">MISSOULA – By 2024, employers will need to fill more than 2 million middle-skill jobs—those requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree-- in advanced
manufacturing, information technology, and transportation, distribution & logistics. Good middle-skill jobs
</span><span style="color:black">can offer employment with sustainable income, but only 11% of them are occupied by women. The YWCA GRIT(Girls Representing in Trades) Program aims to change this.
</span><span lang="EN" style="color:black">GRIT </span>empowers young girls to explore trade and skill-based work as attainable and feasible careers—anything from construction, to auto mechanics, to welding. Furthermore, GRIT believes that improving women’s
access to good middle-skill jobs can help close the wage gap, improve women’s economic security, and address job shortages.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="color:black">GRIT is excited to be
</span><span lang="EN" style="color:black">partnering with Missoula College Department of Industrial Technology to host an all-female Industrial Technology Expo open to all high school girls* on Tuesday, November 14<sup>th</sup> from 8:00am-2:30pm. Throughout
the expo, </span>participants will have an opportunity to tour the Missoula College Industrial Technology campus, hear from female students currently enrolled in the industrial technology programs, and try out equipment, such as a welding torch, an excavator
simulator, a table saw, and more. Girls will also have the opportunity to sign up for future GRIT programs, including more advanced welding, carpentry, and renewable energy programs that begin in January 2018.<span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">YWCA Missoula has partnered with the Industrial Technology department at Missoula College to create this program, which is primarily funded through generous grants and support provided by the Women’s Foundation
of Montana, Charlotte Martin Foundation, American Association of University Women, Opportunity Bank of Montana, Arbonne Charitable Foundation and Montana Campus Compact, in addition to other local businesses.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in">The Industrial Technology Expo at Missoula College will be held on Tuesday November 14<sup>th</sup> from 8:00am-2:30pm and is open to 9<sup>th</sup>-12<sup>th</sup> grade girls* who are interested in learning more
about the trades including machining, welding, carpentry and more, all in a safe, non-judgmental space. Snacks and lunch will be provided. Transportation needs to be coordinated with the student’s high school.<strong><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">For more information on the upcoming expo or GRIT programs, contact Margaret Hoyt at YWCA Missoula at 543-6691 or
<span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="mailto:mhoyt@ywcaofmissoula.org"><span style="border:none"><span style="border:none">mhoyt@ywcaofmissoula.org</span></span></a></span>.
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Founded in 1911, YWCA Missoula is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Learn more at
<a href="http://www.ywcaofmissoula.org/">www.ywcaofmissoula.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">*</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Interested participants who identify with girlhood or womanhood are welcome to join GUTS! programs. Includes participants
who are transgender or are outside the gender binary and feel that GUTS! could be beneficial or enjoyable to them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">###</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Becky Margolis<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Communications Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">YWCA Missoula<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">1130 W. Broadway<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Missoula, MT 59802<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">P: (406) 543-6691 F: (406) 543-6777<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><a href="ywcaofmissoula.org">ywcaofmissoula.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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