Women In Construction-Making The Effort
Just over 100 years ago, women stepped into their overalls and went to work, taking up the slack for the husbands and boys and sons in factories, automotive plants and shipyards. While there are more than one million women employed in the construction industry, most usually think of an industry dominated predominately by men. Even though these barriers have been put up, women continue to build their own path in the industry. Women’s involvement in the labor market has changed in several notable ways over the past several decades. Women are more likely to pursue higher levels of education. In 2019, 56 percent of women ages 25 to 64 held a bachelor’s degree and higher.
These women are administrative specialists, general contractors, subcontractors, professional and trades people. The construction industry for many many years has been a male dominated industry. With the continuing emergence and growth of technology, women are a great fit for roles involving technology, engineering and supervising roles. The evolution from what it used to be, women are more skilled, capable and interested in construction field work. Women also have been working full time and year round. And the construction industry offers more job opportunities for women than a typical office job.
Think about this if you will. The construction industry is in need of workers meaning jobs are available right now. Women can make more money in construction compared to some jobs. The fact that there is a shortage of labor in the industry presents an opportunity to hire even more women for construction jobs. And women in the IT departments of these construction companies can help by filling vacant jobs and advancing their diversity.
Although there are obstacles for women to enter construction and with more and more women chipping away at gendered norms and leveling the playing field, the industry is taking bigger steps at becoming a more diverse and inclusive space for future generations. Have you made any efforts to help promote women in construction or to recruit more women to work at your construction company?
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