In 1987, Adrienne Bennett became the first and still only Black female master plumber in North America. Now running her own firm in Detroit, Bennett says it isn't just the stigma of dirty work or the emphasis on college that keeps people like her from getting a hands-on education for high-paying jobs in the understaffed trades.

On this episode of Work Shift, Bennett talks about the race and gender discrimination she experienced while pursuing a highly skilled career in plumbing—and what she did to succeed in an overwhelmingly white and male world.

Elaine Santiago, a single mom in her 50s, lost her job in July 2020 after 23 years at one of the nation’s largest accounting firms. Eight months later, Santiago hasn’t found a full-time position. To pay the bills, she pulled together a collection of consulting gigs in marketing and publicity. She’s also substitute teaching.

Workers like Santiago will welcome the short-term help included in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. But there’s an important omission in the plan: the lack of new investment in job training and career help. For millions of Americans whose jobs may never return, the COVID package is a balm, not a cure.