March 20, 2026
Ferris State hosts hundreds of girls at Jill of All Trades event, encouraging young women to join skilled workforce industries
Ferris State University’s College of Engineering Technology successfully hosted more than 100 high school girls during the second annual Jill of All Trades event on March 19, which serves to inspire young women to consider a career in skilled workforce industries that are typically male-dominated.
Kate O’Connor, dean of the College of Engineering Technology, encouraged the visiting students to have an open mind during the workshops and conversations, as any of them who might think they won’t pursue skilled workforce industries can realize the critical need for more girls and women in the field.
“Be curious and get over any fear of ‘I don’t know how to do that or make a fool of myself.’ Be willing to try something new and don’t listen to those voices of doubt,” she said. “I used to listen to people in my life that doubted what I wanted to do, so I told myself I’m not good enough for it.
“Listen to yourself. If you ever need a cheerleader, contact me, and I guarantee I’ll tell you that you are capable,” O’Connor said, who advocates tirelessly for more opportunities for females.
Jill of All Trades is an international program focusing on expanded awareness of the opportunities for women in professional trades careers. The organization was founded by Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Ontario in 2014 and has worked with colleges and universities across Canada and the United State – with Ferris State being the first Michigan university to host the opportunity.
Students from Big Rapids, Morley, and Cedar Springs high schools were among the hundreds of female students attending the event.
They were able to learn more and gain a bit of real-world experience through Ferris State’s engineering tech programs during the event. This included Architecture and Facility Management, Automotive, Electronics and Automation, Manufacturing, Heavy Equipment, Plastics, Product Design, Surveying, and Welding.
The visiting students were involved in several hands-on workshops during the Jill of All Trades visit, including how to operate heavy equipment such as a semi-truck and tractor.
Lillian Montgomery, a senior at Central Montcalm, said she is passionate about drawing floor plans. As she nears the end of her high school career, Montgomery didn’t hesitate to come to the event to learn more about what the next steps could look like after graduation.
“I didn’t know the (Jill of All Trades) existed until my teacher approached me a week or two ago, and I think it’s cool they have a day like this to introduce students to new parts of the trades – especially for the women in trades,” Montgomery said. “This whole thing is a great way to get a sense of what you would like to do after high school.
“After we visited the architect building, I now feel like that’s something I’ll considering pursuing now that I’ve thought about it,” she said. “Honestly, I probably would come here (to Ferris). I’m an artist, and I’m a welder at a career center right now. I know that Kendall College (of Arts and Design) is a part of Ferris, and that’s something I love. That’s mainly what got me interested in coming to this event today.”
Andrea Peterson, a junior at Creative Technologies Academy, said having the chance to be hands-on during the visit made all the difference to encourage her to consider pursuing higher education to jump into a skilled workforce career – particularly in welding.
“It was really fun. I’ve never had the chance to weld, so that was a good experience. I saw it happen before when my brother and uncles did it, but this was my first time. Soldering was also really cool,” Peterson said.
A handful of Ferris State students representing the Engineering Tech programs and their respective Registered Student Organizations were also able to share words of encouragement with the visiting students.
They focused on the importance of more women in male-dominated career fields and reminding them not to be marginalized for their gender in their professional careers, and for the young women to maintain the mentality of “we’re coming, and we’re ready.”
Ferris State’s accredited Engineering Tech program continues to prepare the next generation of builders, creators, designers and innovators to accelerate their careers and make their mark on our world, standing as a national leader, ranked in the top 10% of engineering tech colleges in the country.