Although the construction industry has historically been known as a male-dominated industry, this may be changing soon. Today, women make up just under 11% of the construction workforce, with numbers expected to steadily grow over the next decade. Within the United States, women make up 47% of all employed individuals, meaning less than 2% of women decide to enter construction. The question remains, why do so few women choose not to enter a dynamic and prosperous industry.
For over 75 years, Welty Building Company, an Ohio-based construction firm, has focused on building inclusivity in the workplace and promoting women within their ranks. As one of the fastest-growing construction companies in the Ohio region, Welty Building Company understands the importance of gender diversity in the construction industry and hopes to highlight the many benefits of women in construction and what resources are available to women who may be looking to enter construction.
Construction Industry Forecast 2022
Recently, Wells Fargo released its 2022 Construction Industry Forecast, which showed that the upcoming year may have increased profits for nonresidential contractors and distributors. In 2021, the construction industry faced unprecedented times such as disrupted supply chains, labor shortages, and sky-high inflation costs on construction materials. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to slow down the majority of construction projects, which slowed industry growth to just 1.8% In 2022; however, experts believe we will see this growth rise to 3.1%.
This year, the two biggest issues that will face many construction companies will be finding skilled workers and supply chain disruptions. Although low-interest rates and the new Infrastructure Bill will help to greatly improve the construction industry’s growth, many smaller construction companies will still face serious day-to-day issues in 2022. Luckily, there may be an answer for what many construction companies are calling a lack of skilled workers.
Diversity and Performance
Although women do not currently make up a significant portion of the construction workforce, there are many benefits to incentivizing more diversity. Over the years, many studies have shown the real-world benefits of diversity within an organization. According to one report by McKinsey & Co., gender-diverse companies are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability than companies whose workforce makeup is predominantly one gender.
As many construction companies are currently facing record-high labor shortages, hiring more women could be an excellent way to improve employee retention and profitability. According to one report, construction companies that had more women in executive line roles rather than staff roles saw above-average financial performance compared to companies with women only represented in staff roles. In fact, companies who filed more than 30% of their executive-level position with women improvised their likelihood of outperforming their competitors by roughly 48%.
Although these studies found concrete evidence linking gender diversity to financial success, a Randstad survey found that women executives are far more likely to be in staff positions than line roles, while men in executive roles make up 33% of staff executives and 46 as line executives.
What Needs to Happen to Increase Women in the Trades
So, what can companies do to improve their gender diversity and attract employees of all genders? Human resources experts have stated that one of the best ways to promote inclusivity in the workplace is to create a work culture where employees feel safe and comfortable reporting sexist and unsafe behavior from other coworkers. It’s important that all employees feel valued by their company and know that they can go to their supervisors with issues that will be addressed in a professional manner.
Another central point that many women in the construction industry feel is overlooked is clean and safe job sites. Many women construction workers find that job sites lack clean sanitation facilities, which many workers may view as a health hazard. Additionally, many companies lack personal protective equipment (P.P.E.) designed for female workers. It is vital that women in the trades have access to P.P.E. gear and harnesses that fit them well on a job site.
Resources for Women In Construction
While many programs within construction are predominantly marketed to men, there are resources within the industry that do look to assist women who are considering construction for their careers. Women looking to get started in the construction industry are highly encouraged to check out the following resources.
- O. O. T. S. - Bridging Outstanding Opportunities with Tradeswomen Skills
A well-known four-week pre-apprenticeship program that is designed to help educate and empower women looking to become union carpenters. The B.O.O.T.S. program works as an introductory course to carpentry and discusses a variety of essential topics, including math, framing, safety, and concrete form building.
Tools and Tiaras
Tools and Tiaras is an open network program committed to advancing the interest of young girls and women interested in pursuing a career in building and construction. Tools and Tiaras help connect young girls and women with other women in the field for mentorships and employment opportunities.
W.A.N.T.O. - Women in Apprenticeship & Nontraditional Occupations:
The W.A.N.T.O. grant program was created to help create new pathways for women to more easily enter male-dominated industries. In 2020 alone, the W.A.N.T.O. grant program provided more than 4 million to community-based organizations to help increase women’s employment in non-traditional occupations and apprenticeship programs.
