Women are increasingly becoming crane operators, challenging a historically male-dominated industry.

Elena Badaeva, a female crane operator with over 30 years of experience, is an example of a woman succeeding in this field, operating at 40 meters to construct houses in several cities.

Women in construction bring diverse knowledge and experiences, but recruiting them requires girls to take math and science courses.

Role models and companies like Suffolk encourage girls to join the field through diversity programs.

Labor shortages are leading companies to hire qualified women, who can be valuable in construction due to their attention to detail.

Female crane operators are achieving success and contributing to greater gender equality and diversity in the industry.

Tata Steel is promoting diversity by hiring women as operators and providing them with training.

The Ministry of Labor now allows women to work as crane drivers, among other previously prohibited professions.

Women in construction face greater risks and lower average salaries than men, highlighting the need for greater support and protection.

Targeted programs can increase women's participation in construction, with some companies promoting diversity and inclusion.

Leighton promotes diversity and inclusion through policies like paid parental leave, flexible work, and female career development training.

Achieving gender parity in the construction industry could generate $20bn-$40bn GDP for countries like New Zealand.

In the US, women hold 13% of construction payroll jobs, a percentage that has remained stagnant since the 1990s.

Initiatives like on-the-job training and apprenticeships can help recruit and retain women in construction.

Barratt Developments and other companies are creating a family-friendly culture and opportunities for women in construction.

The construction industry is seeing positive trends towards greater gender equality, with women taking on non-traditional roles.

Women are increasingly becoming crane operators, challenging a historically male-dominated industry.

Title:

Content: Your people, Shumerlya
I sit high, I look far away...
This story is not about Masha, but about a woman.
which operates at an altitude of about 40 meters.
"Our Lena, Lenochka" - only so, not otherwise,
They call her male colleagues.
On the eve of the professional holiday of builders
the newspaper visited the construction site on Kolkhoznaya Street, where a new five-storey building (the first entrance) is growing.
Moreover, literally a day before the visit, the last slab of the floor of the fifth floor was laid there - an event for builders, especially the old guard, a landmark.
And put
This slab is just Elena Badaeva, for many years the only crane operator in Sumerla.
This modest worker grew up and continues to live in the native Chuvash Algash.
After graduating from the Algashinsky secondary school, she entered the Cheboksary School No. 17 as a crane operator.
What then attracted her so much in this profession, Elena no longer remembers, probably wanted something unusual.
After studying, in 1989 in the direction came to Shumerlya, in the department of mechanization No. 2.
I could have stayed in Cheboksary, but I wanted to be closer to my parents.
And since then, except for a break in the difficult 90s, she has not changed her chosen path.
Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Cheboksary, Kanash, Yoshkar-Ola and other cities - the geography of our heroine's work is extensive.
In Shumerle, she built houses on the MOPR, Kostochkin, Lenin, Shchors, Shcherbakov, Frantsev.
At one object, Lenin, 1 / 1, two daughters even went up to her.
“They always worried about me, ” says Elena. – And now, already as adults, they constantly call.
If the weather is bad, then immediately - Mom, get down! "
One day, during the construction of a house on the MOPR, a strong wind flew sharply.
“I managed to get together, took my bag, began to descend as the crane began to turn.
From the bag all the documents scattered ”, – now with a smile remembers Elena and admits that she inexplicably pulls up into the sky, into the open.
But she had to work at the height of the 18-storey building!
The place of work of E. Badaeva today is LLC "UMS 3", whose profile is specialized construction work on orders of general contractors, the same building trust No 3.
But ordinary people habitually consider Elena part of the SU-8 team.
I mean, it really is.
“There is an excellent team, management, ” she says of Sumerlin builders,“ will always support.
If there was a different attitude, I would have left long ago.
And they work like - smoothly, quickly!
Good, funny people here. ”
Aksakal in the team of the construction management No. 8 is Alexander Doctorov, who is called Yevgenich in a friendly way.
The most creative profession in the world, he gave 45 years.
A native of the village of Medyany, Nizhny Novgorod region, he graduated from a construction college and went to work in SU-8.
The first 2 years he was a carpenter, then he became a master of construction and installation works, in 1988 he was appointed foreman.
Since 2022 - senior foreman.
In Soviet times, he mainly worked at industrial facilities of the city: a machine factory, a plant, a chemical plant, a butter factory, a meat factory, a construction management base.
Then in housing construction.
In recent years, he led construction in Kanash, Cheboksary, Krasnye Chetai.
For many years of work received various rewards.
Every free day Alexander prefers to devote to his lifelong hobby - fishing.
“I sat on the shore of Sura with a fishing rod, visited the parents ’ house – rested my soul, ” he shared.
One such animal once washed up on the street Frantseva.
The cat, who was called Stepan, always met Alexander Evgenyevich in anticipation of food, lived all winter, and then disappeared.
To be photographed for the newspaper during our meeting A.E. Doctors categorically refused.
The winter photo was given to us by a colleague.
The veteran of the SU-8, like all ordinary workers, does not like the hype around him.
But he noted the professionalism and discipline of workers and management specialists, their coordinated work at the facilities and shared plans for the near future: in December this is the delivery of a single-entrance house on Kolkhoznaya, next year the construction of the second entrance and the beginning of the construction of several houses on MOPRA street.
Posted by: anna

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

Elena Badaeva, a female crane operator with over 30 years of experience, is an example of a woman succeeding in this field, operating at 40 meters to construct houses in several cities.

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

Women in construction bring diverse knowledge and experiences, but recruiting them requires girls to take math and science courses.

Title:

Content: 3 women helping build tallest residential building on Florida's West Coast: 'I want my name on that'

A tall building under construction in Downtown St. Petersburg is a point of pride for one woman under a hardhat.

"Because it's going to be the tallest [residential] building on the West Coast of Florida and I want my name on that," said Daniela Farias, a recent USF Civil Engineering graduate.

Farias, Sofia Menacho, and Sydney Rocha are among the relatively few women in a field long dominated by men. According to one industry group, only 10 percent of construction industry workers are female.

"I think they may be a little bit discouraged to join this field because of the low numbers.," explained Rocha, a recent architecture graduate.

Daniela Farias and Sydney Rocha work in the construction industry.

All three women are working to help build The Residences at 400 Central. Eventually, the building will rise 46 stories.

READ: New high rise apartment building coming soon to downtown Tampa

Suffolk Construction is in charge of the project, overseeing many subcontractors working in different trades.

"I work with the concrete subcontractors putting in all the steel and the rebar and also the mechanical and electrical and plumbing trees," said Farias.

All three women are in Suffolk's Career Start program. The goal is to diversify the workforce.

"People from different backgrounds, different cultures, different educations, they all bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences that diversify who we are and make us better as a company," said Chris Lewis, Suffolk's Project Executive.

Getting more women in hardhats depends on more girls taking more math, science, and technology courses in school.

READ: Trader Joe’s to open Palm Harbor store

"If a young girl has a role model to look up to, if they see that it's more common, then I think more women would be encouraged to be in the field," shared Farias.

Some say women could be especially valuable because they are better with details, organizing, and design. Whether that's true or not, the thrill of the build seems to cut across the genders.

"I started here in July, and we were on the second floor," said Menacho. "Now we're on the 24th floor. It's amazing."

With a labor shortage in the industry, Suffolk and other companies are looking to fill jobs that were once virtually "men only" with qualified women. As new buildings rise, old barriers could be coming down.

"I think I never had that in my head that I can't do something," said Farias.

Efforts to recruit women may signal a changing mindset in the new buildings that are changing our skyline.

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS

What are governments doing to promote and aid women in construction or maritime industries?

Role models and companies like Suffolk encourage girls to join the field through diversity programs.

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

What positive experiences are highlighted in the personal stories of successful women in construction and maritime industries, especially of female crane operators?

Labor shortages are leading companies to hire qualified women, who can be valuable in construction due to their attention to detail.

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

Why are construction and maritime industries more popular with women nowadays?

Female crane operators are achieving success and contributing to greater gender equality and diversity in the industry.

Title:

Content: ContributorsPublishersAdvertisers

‘The possibilities are endless’: SRS highlights first female operators

WRDW-TV
 2 days ago

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s Women’s History Month, and in once male-dominated fields, women are taking over. The Savannah River Site put the spotlight on some of their first female operators. We caught up with one woman who is a second-generation employee. Loretta Barnett began her job...

www.wrdw.com

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

What positive experiences are highlighted in the personal stories of successful women in construction and maritime industries, especially of female crane operators?

Tata Steel is promoting diversity by hiring women as operators and providing them with training.

Title:

Content: Follow Us:

Woman breaks gender barrier to operate Hyva

Subodh Pandey, Vice President, TSM, congratulated the new recruits and interacted with them along with other executives of TSM Sandeep Dhir, Chief, Human Resource Business Partner, Subrata Basak, Chief, Logistics Operation and Suvransu Sekhar Rout, Chief, RMHS & Raw Material Processing Plant, TSM.

Statesman News Service | Bhubaneswar |

Breaking the gender barrier, four women employees are on the strenuous job as Stacker-cum Reclaimer (SCR) raw material handling system (RMHS) at the Tata Steel Meramandali (TSM) in Dhenkanal district of Odisha.

Besides, a woman has been assigned the job for Hyva operator. It is for the first time that female employees will shoulder the responsibilities as SCR operators in Tata steel’s Meramandali unit, the company said in a statement.

Subodh Pandey, Vice President, TSM, congratulated the new recruits and interacted with them along with other executives of TSM Sandeep Dhir, Chief, Human Resource Business Partner, Subrata Basak, Chief, Logistics Operation and Suvransu Sekhar Rout, Chief, RMHS & Raw Material Processing Plant, TSM.

 “We are extremely pleased to have you in our team as this marks a monumental milestone on gender balance among the workforce in the plant. While accelerating our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, this measure will also encourage more girls to look for such jobs”, Pandey said.

 “As a responsible corporate, we not only strongly believe in the diversity of our human capital but also guide our vendor partners to imbibe our beliefs and contribute to it. This is directed to reimagining how a job gets done, reshaping the team and empowering employees wherever they work”, Basak said while speaking on the occasion.

Breaking the barrier, the female SCR operators with Diploma in Mechanical Engineering underwent safety induction and on the job training, prior to their on boarding for stacking and reclaiming operation, considered mostly as a male-only job, the statement added.

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

The Ministry of Labor now allows women to work as crane drivers, among other previously prohibited professions.

Title:

Content: Ribbon
August 09 05: 46
All news
freepik.com / Designed by Freepik
Moscow, August 9.
Chemical engineer, crane driver, controller, fashion designer and laboratory assistant are included in the list of the most dangerous professions for women ’ s health, said the Institute of Occupational Health.
The most unfavorable for women in the metallurgical industry is the profession of a crane driver.
In mechanical engineering - the profession of electroplating and modeling.
At the same time, one of the most problematic industries for women's health is considered to be healthcare.
“Health workers had high levels of gynecological morbidity ”, — told the publication URA.RU in the Institute of Occupational Medicine named after academician N.F. Izmerov.
Earlier, the Ministry of Labor reduced the list of prohibited professions for women by four times.
The new list now has only 100 items.
Go back
Comment

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are governments doing to promote and aid women in construction or maritime industries?

Why are construction and maritime industries more popular with women nowadays?

Women in construction face greater risks and lower average salaries than men, highlighting the need for greater support and protection.

Title:

Content: Aging spawns the phenomenon of "iron girl" Mainland women enter heavy industry
Social Hotspot 14: 42 2021 / 08 / 12
Share:
Due to labor shortages caused by low birth rates and an aging population, Chinese women are increasingly taking on long-male-dominated heavy labor in construction, transportation and other industries, contrary to traditional gender roles in China ’ s vast labor market.
The Wall Street Journal reports that China ’ s total workforce has been shrinking for years, in part because state policies have limited the size of families.
According to census data, the proportion of the working age population aged 15 to 59 in China has fallen from 70% a decade ago to 63% in 2020, to nearly 900 million people.
The Chinese government is trying to expand the workforce by encouraging couples to have more children and is considering delaying the retirement age.
The number of women workers in the heavy industry is growing fast
At present, most women in China still work in service industries such as retail and catering.
The researchers note that women who switch to construction and transportation are at greater risk of harm and sexual harassment, which used to be dominated by men.
China ’ s aging population faces recruitment difficulties, young people refuse to sell out to the manufacturing industry
The Politburo of the Central Committee announced the implementation of the three-child policy
The latest figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that at the end of 2018, nearly 9.5 million women were employed in the construction industry, equivalent to 14% of the total number of construction workers, up from 10% at the end of 2004.
According to the researchers, the official data may underestimate the actual number of women workers in the construction industry, as many women are hired through temporary employment agencies and are not considered regular employees.
Sarah Swider, a sociologist at Wayne State University, has studied construction sites for more than 10 years. Swider said that the number of women working on construction sites has grown rapidly, so employers have set up separate living areas and bathrooms for them.
These women also have to do double the work: in addition to the routine work of moving bricks and making cement, they also have to do laundry and cooking for male workers. The average salary of these women workers is generally about half that of male workers, Swider said.
Women are not as good as men in terms of salary in some jobs.
Researchers who study China ’ s labor force and gender issues estimate that about a third of workers on some construction sites in China ’ s big cities are women, up from almost zero in the 1980s.
Eight years ago, women made up just over one-tenth of construction workers, according to a survey of more than 6,000 construction workers in nine cities by a nonprofit labor rights group in Beijing.
The women ’ s work gradually expanded from cooking and cleaning to screening sand and operating machinery, these people said.
[China Population Census] Statistics Bureau: Old age becomes a long-term important national situation
[Population crisis] Northeast advanced aging two factors are difficult to resolve
Emily Honig, a historian at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said that in the Mao era, female workers were called "iron girls" and were a symbol of gender equality, but after Deng Xiaoping came to power, women's heavy industry was no longer popular as China's wealth increased.
But “now, with labor demand changing again, this Mao era directive seems to be back to square one. ”
A gender pay gap indicator released by the International Labor Organization in 2018 showed that women globally are paid on average nearly 20% less than men, the gender pay gap in China is slightly higher than the global average at 21%, and the gap in the United States is lower at 15%.
Editor-in-Chief: Li Bingqi
Stay abreast of the latest developments in China, Bookmark hket.com China Channel
Like Hong Kong Economic Times hket.com Fan Page
Follow the latest financial news analysis, like hket Facebook

Targeted programs can increase women's participation in construction, with some companies promoting diversity and inclusion.

Title:

Content: Video | Agriculture | Confidence | Economy | Energy | Employment | Finance | Media | Property | RBNZ | Science | SOEs | Tax | Technology | Telecoms | Tourism | Transport | Search

New Report Reveals Gender Diversity Is The Answer To New Zealand’s Talent Crisis

Champions for Change’s annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Report (2022) has estimated that if we collectively and urgently take bold steps to achieve workforce gender parity by 2030 (defined as 50% female participation in the workforce) an additional $20bn-$40bn* of GDP could be generated for the Aotearoa, New Zealand economy and in parallel, help to address the current talent shortage facing New Zealand business.

Statistics New Zealand data 2022 data shows women make up 47% of Aotearoa’s workforce, but Champions for Change believe an intentional focus on the right interventions to enable women to participate equally across our workforce the 50% target could feasibly be reached within the next eight years.

Key interventions include, addressing unpaid child-care, including better recognition of unpaid work, reducing the amount of unpaid work, and rebalancing it between men and women.

While Covid has made the working world far more flexible which is a positive for the increased participation of women, higher-growth, higher-paid sectors, such as construction, trades apprentices, and digital and technology sectors are still underrepresented by women. Opening up pathways and breaking down barriers for women via targeted education and apprenticeship programmes will be critical in driving higher participation rates by women in these growth industries. Interventions to address attitudinal biases continue to be of the utmost importance.

Champions for Change have themselves taken significant action and made further progress this year. The report announces that Champions for Change organisations have committed to reporting their gender pay gaps publicly*. The collective is also driving change through parental leave policies with a number of Champion organisations making the step to re-engineer their parental leave policies to make them gender neutral – thereby breaking down financial barriers for men to take parental leave and freeing up women to re-enter the workforce.

The report once again shows the shifts of intentional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policies through the Champions’ ongoing commitment to a 40-40-20 benchmark policy. Through this commitment, Champions reported in its 2022 report at least 40% representation for women across 4 out of 5 management levels with a 6% lift in women represented at General Manager level this year.

The Champions companies continue to outperform the broader NZX50 benchmark, with 26% of Champions for Change organisations reporting female CEOS compared to 14% of the NZX50 companies and Champion organisations reporting an average of 37% female representation on boards, compared to 33% of NZX50 boards and 31% on S&P 100 boards.

To further advance their progress, Champions for Change are collaborating at scale to develop evidence-based initiatives across four workstreams designed to break down historical participation and power gaps within their workplaces. These are; Increasing Gender Diversity, Increasing Māori and Ethnic Diversity, Leading Inclusive Cultures and Influencing the Outside World.

Justine Smyth Co-Chair of Champions for Change says:

“It is positive to see the progress we are making in improving gender representation, which speaks to the benefits of bringing the business community together behind a common goal. But we still have a lot of hard work to do to change the gender pay gap that persists in Aotearoa, across all sectors and all levels of work.

“Having Champions of Change organisations committing to publishing their gender pay gap is an important first step, as what gets measured gets done. It doesn’t make the solutions any easier, and many businesses are grappling with industry-wide challenges built up over many decades. But shining the light on an issue keeps focus on it, and as leaders we shouldn’t shy away from what is hard, but rather be willing to share where we are on the journey, and the action we are taking to create change over time.”

Matt Prichard, Co-Chair of Champions for Change added: “In the five years since our inception, it is clear that Champions have become a force for positive change.

“Today we have more leaders, organisations and industries than ever signed up to the Champions for Change collective – creating greater scale, influence, action and collaboration than ever before. This year’s report argues that if more organisations prioritise gender equity it will unlock significant economic growth for us all. We would love all New Zealand businesses to join us.”

The report contains case studies from NZTE, Fisher & Paykel Appliances, Spark and Sky.

The Champions for Change Diversity and Inclusion report can be found in full at www.globalwomen.org.nz.

© Scoop Media

Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

Consumer NZ: Slip, Slop – Slap On The Wrist

Australian skincare company Ego Pharmaceuticals has pleaded guilty to two charges under the Fair Trading Act (FTA), for making unsubstantiated claims on two sunscreens... More>>

MIA: August New Vehicle Registrations Strongest On Record As Back Orders Get Filled
The Motor Industry Association’s David Crawford says that 14,690 registrations of new vehicles for the month of August is the strongest month of August on record, largely due to shipments arriving allowing back orders to be filled... More>>

NIWA: NZ's Warmest And Wettest Winter On Record

NIWA’s climate scientists can now confirm what you may have suspected. After carefully poring through more than a century’s worth of data, it has been officially determined that winter 2022 was Aotearoa New Zealand’s warmest and wettest on record... More>>

Statistics: Greenhouse Gases Down In Most Regions In 2021 Compared With Pre-COVID 2019

Greenhouse gas emissions decreased in 10 out of 16 regions between 2019 and 2021, with Taranaki showing the biggest drop in emissions during this period, Stats NZ said today... More>>

Statistics: International Trade: June 2022 Quarter
Total exports of goods and services for the June 2022 quarter were $23.3 billion, up from $21.1 billion in the June 2021 quarter... More>>

ASB: Inflation, Housing And A Tight Labour Market Set To Continue Putting The Screws On The New Zealand Economy
New Zealanders are set to face a tough year as the continued pressures of inflation, housing and a tight labour market combine, according to the latest ASB Quarterly Economic Forecast. Growth is set to be quite weak, with the economy potentially flirting with recession... More>>

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

Leighton promotes diversity and inclusion through policies like paid parental leave, flexible work, and female career development training.

Title:

Content: Leighton looks to revolutionize construction to promote a diverse and inclusive work environment
Contract 14: 00 2022 / 07 / 05
Share:
Share:
When it comes to the construction industry, many people will immediately think of a group of "real men of workers" who work day and night on the ground sweating like rain, forming a gender stereotype.
Leighton Asia (Leighton), which has been based in Hong Kong for more than 46 years, hopes to transform the male dominated image of the construction industry and create a diverse and inclusive working environment to inspire creativity and enhance team performance.
Leighton is an international construction company with parent company CIMIC Group based in Australia and team members from different countries.
Diversity and inclusion are the core values of the Group, regardless of the gender, age, race, cultural background, marital status or family status of employees, so that each employee can play their role in a diverse, equal and respectful work environment.
Creating a Family-Friendly Work Environment
As the times change, more and more women choose to enter the construction industry, Leighton has been continuously optimizing the working environment and policies to meet the development and needs of employees.
Among them, Leighton is a pioneer in the industry, providing employees with paid maternity leave and paternity leave that exceed the statutory requirements, and with flexible work policies, allowing employees to pursue their careers while taking care of their families.
Attracting female professionals to join the industry
Leighton also established the WOICE (Women in Construction and Engineering) network to enhance the care and support of employees, provide more training and further training opportunities, and work with different organizations to share the career development of women in the industry and attract women to join the construction industry.
WOICE covers all employees and enhances employee care and support.
Leighton currently employs about 20% of its workforce in Hong Kong.
Through recruitment and promotion, the company aims to achieve equal gender representation of interns and trainee engineers in the future, and to increase the proportion of female executives to more than 20%.
Leighton actively leads the industry in promoting a diverse and inclusive working environment to attract more women to join the construction industry.
Building an inclusive and diverse working environment is just one part of Leighton ’ s corporate social responsibility, and we will continue to work on different indicators to achieve sustainable development and bring more benefits to the community.
(Special offer)

What are governments doing to promote and aid women in construction or maritime industries?

What positive experiences are highlighted in the personal stories of successful women in construction and maritime industries, especially of female crane operators?

Achieving gender parity in the construction industry could generate $20bn-$40bn GDP for countries like New Zealand.

In the US, women hold 13% of construction payroll jobs, a percentage that has remained stagnant since the 1990s.

Title:

Content: News

Actions

Detroit woman holds high rank in construction industry, encourages other women to join

Posted at 8:52 AM, Sep 01, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-01 08:52:20-04

(WXYZ) — A Detroit woman who started out filling potholes in the city is now in a position of power becoming one of the only women in the country to be crowned Superintendent of Street Maintenance.

Patricia Henderson is a woman that is about her business.

She works, sometimes around the clock, helping to make sure Detroit streets are smooth. And now, she's encouraging other women in the area to see a future in construction.

“My job initially, was to fill potholes,” Henderson said.

Henderson started working for the city in 1998. She says she was often the only woman on the side of the road patching and pounding so gaining respect wasn’t easy.

“The men thought that I couldn’t do the job so they would purposely not do something and leave it for me to do," Henderson said.

But instead of caving, she took control.

“I’ll go right on ahead and do it. I'll pick up the jackhammer, the shovel, whatever was available. I went on and done the job without their help,” she said.

She quickly began to rise in the ranks, but she says the feeling is bittersweet knowing more women are not following the path she's cleared.

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor and Statistics, only 13% of payroll employees in construction are women. This number has remained stagnant since the 90s.

As of 2019, Detroit ranked 44th in the country when it came to female construction workers.

“You identify a problem and you come up with solutions to eliminate that problem," MDOT spokesperson Aaron Jenkins said.

Jenkins says MDOT has created an on-the-job training program aimed at recruiting women and other minorities to join construction crews.

Since the program began, enrollment has more than doubled. The program started off with 56 women in 2017 and has grown to 126 as of 2021.

"The recruiting is working,” Jenkins said.

Henderson says she has hired more women under her leadership including in her supervising staff and she wants to encourage others to take the chance.

"I would tell women, go for it. Who better than us to do it? We are just as strong. We are just as smart. We are just as dominant as the male. We can do it, I’m a witness. I've done it.”

If you'd like to learn more about MDOT's job training program, click here.

Initiatives like on-the-job training and apprenticeships can help recruit and retain women in construction.

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

What are governments doing to promote and aid women in construction or maritime industries?

vocational training
educational programs

Barratt Developments and other companies are creating a family-friendly culture and opportunities for women in construction.

Title:

Content: I am an Edinburgh woman working in construction and want to be a role model for others who dream of the same

Barratt Developments apprentice speaks during Scottish Apprenticeship Week and ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday
Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

I'm Jessica St Clair Gunn, 27, originally from Norfolk, but I moved to Edinburgh in 2010, and two years ago I decided to take the plunge and apply for a place on this construction apprentice programme following an eight-year stint working in retail.

I’ve always been interested in joinery. Growing up there wasn’t a female role model in the field for me to look up to, but that didn’t stop me of dreaming of designing and building my own home from scratch.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I'm now coming to the end of my second year of the four-year programme, which combines classes at Edinburgh College’s Granton Campus with on-site experience. I'm already picked up skills including crafting a door and on-site tasks like roughing, finishings and customer care.

I'm keen to encourage other women to consider a career in construction and trades. If I could give any advice to women swithering on whether they want to pick up a trade, it’s that they shouldn’t be put off by their gender. It is a male-dominated area but that can change as more women realise their potential and put their skills to use. I’ve always found that women have a really good eye for detail which is extremely important in this line of work.

I’m a visual learner so you only have to show me something once, and I thrive in problem-solving environments as I’m quite a practical person.

Barratt’s focus on sustainability is really exciting and something I would love to be a part of once I’ve completed the programme. The company has been extremely supportive and they have a great family-friendly culture which is always a benefit.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I think what I would love to work on most is renovation projects – I’ve been a Grand Designs fan my whole life. However, who know what the future holds? I may even look into becoming a site manager one day.

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

active recruitment of women
promote women to higher roles

What positive experiences are highlighted in the personal stories of successful women in construction and maritime industries, especially of female crane operators?

Why are construction and maritime industries more popular with women nowadays?

The construction industry is seeing positive trends towards greater gender equality, with women taking on non-traditional roles.

Title:

Content: Jump directly to the content
NAILING IT

I’m a female builder – people are always shocked when I turn up on site, especially when I have my lashes and nails done

WHEN they first meet her, people are often surprised by construction worker Georgia Harper's choice of career.

Come rain or shine, the 22-year-old can be found on muddy building sites four days a week, working in a still predominantly male-dominated environment.

For Georgia though - who works as a trainee site engineer for Caddick Construction - it's the best job in the world, and all she's ever wanted to do.

Now, she's determined to break down old, outdated stereotypes that come with the building industry, and inspire more women to pursue a career in construction.

However she does admit people are still often quite surprised when she tells them what she does, and when she turns up to sites.

She says: "People always ask 'Why would you want to do that? It's dirty and cold'.

"I like to have my nails and eyelashes done from time to time, so when people meet me, ‘a woman in construction’, it's not always what they expect.

"I always have a laugh on site when anybody asks for the engineer and I turn up, as they’re usually quite surprised!"

'It's in my blood'

Even as a child, Georgia knew she wanted to go into the building industry.

She says: "When I was a young girl at primary school, I would often ask my dad if I could go to work with him delivering materials to building sites.

"It was here really that my early passions for construction were set alight.

"I loved to see all the different jobs going on around me, bringing such a huge build to life.

"I’d just think to myself, “this is amazing!”

"It’s also worth mentioning that my grandfather was a building surveyor, so it’s definitely in my blood!

"I’ve always wanted to be a site manager so becoming an apprentice engineer on site was the perfect foot in the door; I was getting some real hands-on experience."

'I'm on site four days a week'

Georgia's passion for construction carried through after she left school, and she pursued it professionally.

She says: "After college, I was encouraged into a university course, in urban studies and planning that didn’t quite suit my learning style.

"I soon left the course to pursue a more hands-on route into the industry and found the perfect apprenticeship with Caddick.

"Now, I’m on construction sites four days a week, with just one day at a desk at college.

"Caddick has given me so many training opportunities in the short time I’ve been with them and I’ve already got a lot of courses under my belt from first aid to fire marshalling.

"Before I secured my apprenticeship, I did get in touch with my local planning department and a local architecture firm where I was able to do some work experience, which was brilliant."

'I want to inspire other women'

Now, Georgia couldn't imagine doing anything else.

She says: "I love what I do so much and I just can’t believe that I’ve found myself in this industry.

"A lot of what I do is groundwork for big building projects, so it’s really rewarding to know that none of the final build would be possible without those foundations.

"I’m so proud everyday to do what I do, especially in a male dominated environment.

"Inspiring other women to get into it is definitely something I love doing.

"One thing I hadn’t anticipated when taking up a trade, was the diversity of each working day and the amount of amazing people you meet.

"We have new tradespeople on site everyday so you’re constantly interacting with a whole range of new people."

'There are drawbacks'

However, Georgia admits it can be challenging at times working in such a male-dominated environment.

She says: "Being a young woman in construction doesn’t come without its drawbacks.

"There aren’t always older female role models on site and not having somebody to relate to can be challenging.

"That’s why it’s really important to me to help drive change regarding the industry’s demographic.

"It can also be very arduous in the winter when it’s dark and cold, but in summer when the sun’s out, it’s the best job in the world!

"I love the guys that I work with, we have a great team on site, but I would love for more and more women to step into site roles in construction.

"You often find that women in the industry lean towards office-based roles, whether that’s design and architecture or administration but women are perfect for this job.

"With my work at Caddick, I’ve been invited into schools and colleges to speak to the students about what it is we do.

"When I was studying, I was one of three girls on my course.

"Now, there’s more of a 50/50 split in those classrooms, and it’s so great to see the next wave of women in construction coming through."

Climbing the career ladder

For career-focused Georgia, the only way is up from here.

She says: "Having an apprenticeship definitely has a positive impact on your financial prospects.

"Because I've got real life experience that my university counterparts don’t necessarily have, it just gives you an extra step up from entry level.

"From my role now as trainee site engineer there are loads of progression routes and the money definitely grows as you climb that ladder."

Topics

How has the gender balance in the construction and maritime industries changed over recent decades?

How has the level of discrimination for female employees in the construction industry changed over recent decades?

What are construction and maritime companies doing to promote and aid women in the field?

active recruitment of women
promote women to higher roles

Why are construction and maritime industries more popular with women nowadays?