BE&K Celebrates Women in Construction Week 2022

BE&K Celebrates Women in Construction Week 2022

In the month of March, the United States celebrates Women’s History Month. Globally, we also celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. For the construction industry, and thanks to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), BE&K Building Group (BE&K) recognizes Women in Construction (WIC) Week March 6-12, 2022. WIC Week celebrates, educates, and promotes the role of women in the construction industry.

According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women represent more than 45 percent of the current U.S. workforce, yet only represent 9.9 percent of the workforce in the construction industry. In this month’s Thought Leadership Blog, I will share my personal thoughts and experiences as a woman working in this industry.

As a female who has worked in the construction industry for over 25 years and now holds an executive leadership role within our company, one of my passions is to encourage women to pursue careers in this industry. The theme for this year’s WIC Week is “Envision Equity” which seeks to raise awareness regarding opportunities for women to enjoy a wide range of roles in the construction industry, from tradeswomen, to project managers, to administrative positions, to business ownership. Equity involves the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for individuals by establishing systems and processes that counteract social inequities and prevent the formation of barriers. In other words, simply being a woman should not dictate your potential in an industry or the career path you choose. This is the focus of this year’s WIC Week.

The statistics are clear. The construction industry is at a tremendous disadvantage compared to other industries regarding women in the workplace. It’s so important to have diverse perspectives and insights which ultimately lead to better decision-making and problem-solving. This is why I want to encourage young women to pursue a career in the construction industry. Women deliver immense value to any industry, and they are an untapped resource for construction until the day that we see current statistics rise. If a woman has the passion and drive to work hard, a career in construction can provide you with plenty of opportunities to succeed.

Throughout my years working in the construction industry, many of my female colleagues have held office/corporate roles, including Administrative, Marketing, Accounting, Human Resources, and Business Development. While these roles may seem less “construction-oriented,” many of them are the BACKBONE of the construction industry. Their coworkers in the field could not do their jobs without them. I cannot tell you how much I have personally learned from women in these roles and the contributions they have made to our industry.

While we celebrate these office/corporate roles for women, we must also recognize the ongoing underrepresentation of female workers in traditional construction field operations. Over the years, I have personally witnessed numerous accomplished female leaders in roles such as project management, field supervision, quality control, and safety management. Our desire at BE&K is to continue to build a culture that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion regardless of role and have the conversations that encourage women to know that there is no limit to the possibilities for their success in this industry. A career in construction is an amazing and attainable path for women everywhere. And from personal experience, I can attest that you will find a career path in construction very rewarding.

I am so proud of all the women at BE&K and their accomplishments. Beginning today and throughout WIC Week, BE&K will be highlighting several of our female employees on our social media feeds. These women hold various roles in all facets of our business, including field operations, executive leadership, accounting, and business development. We hope that by sharing their stories, eyes will open for future generations of women who may have an interest or are looking to prepare for a career in construction. We ask that you join us in celebrating these hard-working women.

If you are interested in learning more about careers with BE&K, visit the Careers page on our website.

It’s All About People.