This week, we celebrate the 26th anniversary of Women in Construction Week. It is an appropriate time to recognize the success that women are inexorably achieving in a profession that, until recently, appeared to be the stronghold of male workers.
This outdated perception will dissolve as more women join the industry, shattering stereotypes about their role, contribution and leadership.
We are making strides but continue to work to make the construction industry a more inclusive place for women:
- In 2020, women accounted for 1.2 million of those employed in the construction industry, or about 1 in 10, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). About 646,100 openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently, according to the BLS. This paints an exceptionally bright picture of lucrative career possibilities the industry can fulfill only with a diverse workforce, including women.
- On average, women in the U.S. earn 82.9% of what men make. The gender pay gap is significantly smaller in construction occupations, with women earning, on average, 95.5% of what men make, according to The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). However, in labor unions, there is no pay gap; all workers are paid the same fair and family-sustaining wage.
I can speak from personal experience of how the Carpenters Union has allowed me to learn a skilled trade and grow both as a union carpenter and as an executive. I’ve been a carpenter for 25 years, and the support I received has allowed me to become the first female executive director of the Carpenter Contractor Trust.
During my time as a member of the carpenters’ union, I found support from the Sisters in the Brotherhood program. This program helped me along the way because it was a sturdy pillar of support that I could lean upon. As I moved up the ranks, I could offer guidance and counsel to fellow female apprentices and carpenters to help them advance their careers. It was professional development for women by women.
One issue that I never dealt with as a union carpenter was the gender pay gap. There was complete parity in wages. No one was paid more or less because of gender. An Institute for Women’s Policy Research shares this eye-opening fact: On average, women in unions earn 21% more than their nonunion counterparts. That same study highlights specific benefits to union women, such as exceptional health care, family leave, and prenatal care.
Women In Construction Week is the perfect time for women to consider an industry that they might have overlooked or failed to consider.
The industry offers numerous occupations, from working as a carpenter to even starting one’s own contracting business.
Even for someone who wants to explore a new field to see if they are the right fit they have the option to discover what a career in the field of carpentry would be like in the Carpenters Apprenticeship Ready Program. It is a free, ten-weekend course that teaches participants the basics of carpentry. You get to see, feel and act as an apprentice carpenter as you capture a glimpse of real-world carpentry before diving into the full apprenticeship program.
We all have unique talents, skills, interests and goals. We want to share the message that the construction industry is blossoming with opportunity. All you need is to investigate and talk to someone who has worked in the industry, and you just might find the career of a lifetime.
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Cyndie Williams is the Executive Director of the Carpenter Contractor Trust.