How to get More Women in Construction

A Des Moines Public School in Iowa has implemented a construction camp for girls to break the gap in the stereotype. The camp focuses on educating women to build their interest in the construction trades. In the past years, females have been under-educated when it comes to the trades industry and haven’t been offered the ability to secure a good job with good pay.

The training director for Plumber and Steamfitters in Des Moines Jeremy Lindquist stated:

“We have a shortage of workers in the skilled trades in Iowa and across the country.”

The Reason for Getting more Women in Construction

The new-found goal is to reach students at a young age and introduce them to the trades industry by being educated of the different jobs that are available as well as the different trades such as plumbing, electrical, construction, and HVAC. The idea is to introduce young women to a trade that they have never considered in hopes that they will become familiar enough with it to pursue a career in the future.

Jaci Menke, who is a sophomore at Ankeny High School, told others that she didn’t realize what construction entailed completely. She stated, “I didn’t realize all that is involved. I took a construction class last year and I am thinking about going into architecture. I thought the camp would help me understand all the parts.”

What Does this Mean?

This proves that young women aren’t fully aware of the construction trades and the job opportunities that fall under them. Most young women consider construction as high intensity jobs that require physical endurance and stamina, but little do they know there are many more opportunities beyond these jobs. Like Jaci said, she is considering architecture. Careers like architects, construction managers, project managers, and project coordinators are just a few jobs that don’t require you to be out in the field on job sites day in and day out.

Not only will camps such as this one get students thinking about their future and what they want to pursue, but it allows them to connect their classroom work with the real world. A teacher at Johnston Middle School stated that never has she heard a student ask, “why do I need to know this?” once throughout the whole camp. The great thing about this opportunity is that if students decide to pursue a career in another trade or industry, this is general knowledge that will be useful to them later in life.

During the camp, the school reached out to women actively working in the industry and had them come in and speak with the children and answer questions. These women gave them insight on what it’s like working as a steamfitter, welder, electrician, and other vocations.

Any student that showed further interest in learning more or even getting a college degree in a specific trade was encouraged to take specific courses during middle and high school that they could apply towards their college degree. Courses such as technical math, wood working, and mechanics were just a few of the classes offered.

It is important to introduce women to this field and make them feel more able and welcome. They also need to know that these are not just good jobs that allow you to have a steady career, but they offer steady high pay with benefits.

The more we educate and introduce women to this field, the more willing they will be to consider taking on a lifetime of commitment in the trades. Do you think camps like these should be implemented into schools across the nation? Do you think camps like these will grab the attention of young women to learn more about the trades and the jobs within then? Only time will tell.

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The Recession is Just the Beginning

The recession was the tipping point of the labor shortage in the construction industry, but that isn’t the only explanation. Although we lost 600,000 jobs when our economy collapsed, this severe gap was inevitable given our current climate and attitude towards the trades. Over the past few decades, our society has seen a shift away from educating our students in the skilled trades industry. We have directed high school graduates into 4 year colleges- focusing on tech, business or other more “worthy” career paths. But that fact remains that we need the skilled trades. Without them, our economy collapses because houses can not be built, plumbing cannot be installed, and we don’t have licensed electricians.

What Can We Do About it?

A change of attitude is needed. The skilled trades are not a career path to be looked down upon, but rather a necessary and vital part of any society. Plus, the money isn’t bad either! High school counselors must present all options to high school graduates who are deciding their path after high school. Internships, trade schools and apprenticeships are all excellent options to test their skills and hone in on their passions. In addition to the labor pool of Gen Z and recent high school graduates, Veterans are also an excellent choice to fill these vacancies. Some veterans are already having a hard time re-establishing a career path after leaving the military, but given the large number of workers needed, it seems like a good fit for both parties. Plus, a lot of Veterans already have the necessary skill sets that are required for the skilled trades. Additional training may be needed in specific fields, but if there are incentive programs in place- it seems like a no-brainer. 

Big Businesses Have to Do Their Part

We cannot solely rely on high school counselors or students to enter the skilled trades of their own volition, big businesses have to play their part too. By offering scholarships, internships and incentivized training with the promise of a career after graduation, big businesses can help fill these gaps with quality workers. There couldn’t be a better situation than to help train their own future employees exactly how they want and incentivize them to stick around to keep the industry going strong. 

The skilled trades gap is definitely a concern that should be on the mind of every American. If we as a society do not make the necessary shifts and take appropriate action to remediate the situation, we are all in trouble. Our society cannot function without the backbone of the skilled trades force.

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