With female experts into the future

Six women-friendly businesses have been honored with the "Hand.Werk.Frau.Zukunft mit Fachfrauen" award by the Emscher-Lippe-West Chamber of Crafts.

This article is part of the special topic women in crafts

For the second time, the Hand.Werk.Frau working group honored craft businesses from Gelsenkirchen that create the best possible working conditions for female skilled workers in the skilled trades. They employ and train women in male-dominated skilled trades and offer good working conditions for female skilled workers. Among the award winners are: Café Conditorei Albring-Rüdelthe Café Pabst, the Sternemann Confectionery, the Johannes Droste Carpentry and Shopfitting Adolf Rademacher as well as those Rolf Lutz Roofing. 

The companies meet various criteria regarding staff recruitment, retention, and development, working hours and work organization, corporate culture, and work-life balance. Master carpenter Andre Rademacher, the third-generation owner of the shopfitter, emphasized: "It's important that women are integrated into the company. Women are more sensitive and have better motor skills. Ambition and a sense of entitlement are also often more prevalent among women." 

At Café Pabst, ten of the 13 employees are women. Master pastry chef Tanja Pabst is all about "women's power": "It's important to me that women have equal rights and opportunities. Especially because they are no less qualified than men." The artisan entrepreneur also employs three single mothers.

Attract more women to the skilled trades

The Hand.Werk.Frau working group was established by the Emscher-Lippe Competence Center for Women and Work, the Recklinghausen Employment Agency, the Emscher-Lippe-West, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, and Recklinghausen district craft associations, the Münster Chamber of Crafts, the Emscher-Lippe Regional Agency, Carpenters NRW, and the Vestische Automotive Trade Guild. They aim to attract more women to the skilled trades.

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"There is considerable catching up to do"

The partners agree that there is considerable catching up to do in terms of economic renewal and development in the Emscher-Lippe region. Furthermore, companies have already experienced a decline in applications due to demographic changes. Nevertheless, the proportion of women in the skilled trades has not improved significantly. This is urgently needed in light of structural change, especially in a region with a long history of industry, such as the Ruhr, as its economic importance is increasing significantly, according to the working group.

Other women-friendly companies can apply for the award or be nominated by the Competence Center for Women and Work.

Contact:

Beate Molsich
Tel .: 02305 / 92150-27
competentia.nrw.de