According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women comprise only 10.9% of all people working in construction and account for only one out of every 100 employees in the field. With over 80% of construction companies struggling to find workers, there has never been a more important time to build a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Women in Construction Week aims to help raise awareness of the lack of women in the field and works to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry. The annual event will take place from March 6 to March 12, 2022 but the initiative to attract women to the industry should be an endless pursuit.
As a female in a male-dominated industry, it's not easy to walk in to any situation or on any jobsite and feel comfortable. I can tell you from experience, that discomfort doesn't last.
Like anything new, there will be learning curves but the more you learn, the more you grow and the more respect you will earn from your industry counterparts, regardless of gender. Here are some things I believe will truly change the way women feel about careers in construction and attract them to our great industry.
1. Money Talks
When you look at the gender pay gap in any given industry, women lag behind in earnings. In the construction industry however, that gap is MUCH smaller than others. In 2018, women working full-time in construction and extraction occupations made $785 per week at the median, compared with $834 for men. The gender wage gap in construction is more narrow than for women in the general workplace. While women overall earn 81 cents for every dollar earned by a man, women in construction make 94 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
Add to that the fact that the construction trades provide well-paid jobs that do not require a college degree. Careers in construction also offer women job security, competitive benefits, paid vacation and the satisfaction of building something that really matters to the communities in which they live. We should focus on the benefits of these careers instead of the potential hardships.
2. Training & Advancement
Like I mentioned above, no one is going to feel comfortable when they first start a new career, and construction is certainly no exception. There is unfortunately a psychological barrier for women to enter a job that they feel is a man’s job. But, women need to know that careers in construction are not just reserved for men. Jobs are for people. Period. Companies just need to train the right people, regardless of gender.
What many workers, including women don’t realize is that construction careers are accessible through apprenticeships, which provide paid on-the-job learning combined with post-secondary classroom instruction. Women-focused pre-apprenticeship programs have been successful in increasing women’s access and success in construction careers.
Providing each new hire with comprehensive training will go a long way to making them feel confident in their work and this goes for all your employees, not just the newbies.
3. Drive the Difference
The them of Women in Construction Week 2022 is "Envision Equity" which seeks to raise awareness of opportunities for women to enjoy a wide range of roles in the construction industry, from tradeswomen to project mangers, to administrative right up to business ownership. There won't be an increase of women to the industry though unless they are given the encouragement to seek these roles and the opportunity to advance.
Children are being exposed to potential careers as young as kindergarten and the industry needs to start tailoring their message to young girls, not just the boys. We need to change the lingering outdated perceptions that exist of what it means to work in construction, not just amongst women, but amongst young people in general as those that influence them and their career choices are their parents and teachers.
The industry also needs to advocate for equality. When women do enter these careers, company leadership needs to make sure they are being respected. Ensure that there are female Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) options in your catalogue which includes work clothing that fits properly and enables women to do their jobs comfortably, well and safely. Although this might seem basic, there are too many companies in the industry which do not yet do this.
These jobs take work ethic, commitment and determination. If your potential candidate has those things, you can teach them the rest, regardless of gender. It's also time for women to see the construction trades as a viable career path and as an industry we need to work to normalize it.
