Women are increasingly entering and excelling as crane operators and in other heavy machinery roles, signaling a significant shift toward greater gender equality and diversity in the construction and maritime industries.

Historically, these sectors were overwhelmingly male-dominated, with women comprising only about 10.9% of the construction workforce as of 2020, a modest increase from 8% in 2016, and with even lower representation in specialized roles such as crane operation and heavy machinery driving .

This underrepresentation was rooted in deep-seated cultural stereotypes, societal norms, and workplace practices that defined construction as a "man’s playground," relegating women to peripheral roles or excluding them entirely .

**Breaking Down Traditional Gender Barriers** The transformation of the construction industry is being driven by several converging factors.

Technological advancements have modernized the field, shifting many roles from physically demanding blue-collar work to more technology-oriented positions involving virtual modeling, AI, data analytics, and the use of drones .

This shift has broadened the scope of available roles, making construction more appealing to tech-savvy individuals, including women who are drawn to collaborative problem-solving and innovation .

Companies like Suffolk Construction now report that over 30% of their South Florida team is female, reflecting increased inclusivity and the opening of new opportunities for women .

The integration of technology not only enhances efficiency but also creates new roles that women can fill, further attracting a diverse workforce .

Targeted educational and training initiatives are crucial in empowering women to enter and excel in construction.

Programs such as West Virginia Women Work provide training across various trades, connecting women with unions and job opportunities, and enhancing their employability in nontraditional occupations .

Events like Transportation & Construction GIRL Day offer hands-on experiences in trades such as welding and concrete making, demystifying the field and encouraging young women to consider construction careers .

Scholarship and mentorship programs, such as New Zealand’s Tūrama Scholars Programme, further support underrepresented groups, including women, by fostering skills development in tech and construction fields .

**Mentorship, Networking, and Supportive Environments** Mentorship is a cornerstone in advancing gender equality in crane operation and construction.

Structured mentorship initiatives, skill-building workshops, and leadership development programs tailored for women help build confidence and sector-specific knowledge .

Supportive work environments, where colleagues focus on ability rather than gender, are essential.

For example, Amelia Walker-Ross, a female service manager at Penske Canada, thrived in a welcoming atmosphere among male colleagues in trucking, despite earlier pushback in the automotive industry .

Peer support systems and networking opportunities are vital for fostering inclusion and providing guidance, helping to reduce feelings of isolation or being undervalued .

Networks such as 100 Women in Finance in Nigeria demonstrate how connecting women in leadership roles can inspire and mentor younger generations, a model applicable to construction and crane operation sectors .

Specific programs like Sisters in Mining provide on-the-job coaching and structured learning for women entering male-dominated sectors, helping them build skills and confidence .

The S.H.E.

Trucking Foundation offers mentorship, education, and support tailored to women drivers, illustrating the effectiveness of targeted mentorship programs in helping women navigate industry challenges .

These initiatives emphasize hands-on training combined with mentorship to empower women in their careers .

**Inspiring Case Studies and Success Stories** Numerous women have become role models by excelling in traditionally male roles, inspiring others to follow suit.

Rachael Reresi, a mechanic at Warrior Industry in Papua New Guinea, transitioned from a supportive educational background to earning respect within a male-dominated workplace, highlighting resilience and the potential for women to become future leaders in STEM-related industries .

Sikhanyisiwe Tazvitya, a former maid from Zimbabwe, became a successful truck driver in Europe and now mentors other aspiring female truck drivers, helping them navigate industry challenges .

In India, Tata Steel’s Meramandali facility employed four women as Stacker-cum Reclaimer operators for the first time, marking a significant milestone for gender balance in heavy industry roles .

Irene Naliaka, a female truck driver, credits the support from male colleagues for helping her integrate into a male-dominated team .

Joanne Waller, a managing director in construction, encourages young women to pursue careers in construction, noting increasing female participation in roles such as machine drivers and engineers .

Patricia Henderson, who started her career filling potholes in Detroit and rose to Superintendent of Street Maintenance, emphasizes that women are "just as strong," "just as smart," and "just as dominant as the male," encouraging others to pursue construction careers .

Georgia Harper, a trainee site engineer, actively breaks down stereotypes by pursuing a hands-on construction career and aims to inspire more women to follow suit, highlighting the need for greater female representation in on-site roles .

Jessica St Clair Gunn, an apprentice joiner, stresses the importance of women not being deterred by the male-dominated environment and points out the value of detail-oriented skills often possessed by women .

Agoi Faith Loice, a contractor and lecturer, has overcome challenges in the male-dominated construction industry by emphasizing hard work and building trust with clients, illustrating how women can thrive despite societal barriers .

**Global and Intersectional Perspectives** Globally, women are breaking into roles historically dominated by men.

In Ghana, the Youth Employment Authority is revitalizing the artisanal sector by enhancing technical and vocational education training, including for forklift and mobile crane operators, empowering women in these roles .

The Sisters in Mining program in Australia enabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to become trainee haul truck drivers, with approximately 90% of the 75 women who completed the program offered permanent positions .

Advocacy by leaders such as Arya Ali, the First Lady of Guyana, highlights the need for greater inclusion of women in the maritime industry, where women represent only 1.2% of the global seafarer workforce .

Companies like Vedanta Aluminium have made strides in gender inclusivity by hiring women and LGBTQIA+ individuals in core operational roles .

The intersection of race and gender adds layers of complexity to women’s experiences in construction.

Minority women often face compounded barriers, including limited access to contracts and opportunities.

For example, a disparity study in Cleveland revealed that only 4.6% of primary construction contracts were awarded to minority- or women-owned businesses, underscoring the need for improved equity measures .

Programs like Lake Street Works in Minneapolis aim to expose low-income teens and youth of color to construction careers, providing essential skills and hands-on experience to increase workforce diversity .

The City of Rochester’s national award for economic development efforts targeting BIPOC women further highlights the importance of inclusive practices in creating career pathways .

**Policy Changes and Industry Initiatives** Recent policy changes and industry initiatives have significantly influenced gender diversity in construction.

In Ontario, regulatory amendments effective July 1, 2023, mandate safe and equitable access for women on construction sites, including requirements for adequate toilet facilities with at least one designated for female workers when five or more toilets are provided .

WorkSafeBC has issued guidelines to ensure personal protective equipment fits all workers properly, addressing a critical safety and comfort issue for women .

In California, legislation requiring women on corporate boards led to a significant increase in female representation between 2018 and 2020, with at least 670 women securing board positions and a reduction of all-male boards from 30% to 3% .

Vistry Western, a construction company, has achieved gender balance in its board of directors and actively promotes women in construction by joining organizations like 'Women into Construction' and hosting events to raise the profile of women in the industry .

**Networking and Community Support** Networking opportunities are vital for women in construction.

Organizations such as the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) offer education, support, and networking opportunities specifically for women in construction .

Women Accessing Non-Traditional Trades (WANTT) helps women enter construction through pre-apprenticeship programs and job fairs .

West Virginia Women Work prepares women for entry-level skilled trades jobs, emphasizing the importance of networking and connections to unions and employers .

Vistry Western participates in the "Women into Construction" organization and hosts events to increase the visibility of women in construction .

The Professional Women in Building (PWB) supports women in the building industry by fostering collaboration and community .

Women are increasingly entering and excelling as crane operators and in other heavy machinery roles, signaling a significant shift toward greater gender equality and diversity in the construction and maritime industries.

Historically, these sectors were overwhelmingly male-dominated, with women comprising only about 10.9% of the construction workforce as of 2020, a modest increase from 8% in 2016, and with even lower representation in specialized roles such as crane operation and heavy machinery driving .

Title:

Content: Crewing shortages could be addressed with greater inclusion of women

–First Lady tells maritime industry stakeholders
WHILE speaking at the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) Gala and Anchor Awards at the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday evening, First Lady Arya Ali advocated for greater inclusion of women in the maritime industry through training and job opportunities.

Mrs. Ali served as patron of the Gala and Anchor Awards which honours stalwarts in the cargo and cruise industry for their accomplishments and positive impact on the Caribbean shipping and maritime sector.
This year, the Gala and Anchor Awards was held under the theme: “Talent in your backyard”. Noting that talent exists here in the Caribbean, Mrs. Ali posited that talent is underutilised when women are unable to access opportunities and contribute to the development of the region’s maritime industry.

She drew attention to the fact that women represent only 1.2 per cent of the global seafarer workforce as per the BIMCO/ICS 2021 Seafarer Workforce Report, underscoring that this represented a positive trend in gender balance, with the report estimating 24,059 women serving as seafarers, which is a 45.8 per cent increase compared with the 2015 report.

“Now, imagine if we were to make more opportunities available to women in the maritime sector, how many of our challenges could be addressed – including crewing shortages,” she told a gathering of almost 200 people, which included executives from some of the largest shipping and cruise line companies in the Caribbean.

With the global shipping industry suffering acute crewing shortages, particularly among officers, the First Lady said that this is the ideal time for companies and agencies to think about greater inclusion of women in the industry.
“Important in all of this is ensuring we create an environment in which women are identified and selected for career development opportunities in the maritime industry,” she said, adding that the Government of Guyana remains committed to supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women through gender specific fellowships and other opportunities.

She highlighted an ongoing collaboration between the Office of the First Lady and the Atlantic Alliance Maritime and Offshore Training Institute – a 100 per cent woman-owned Guyanese company – through which 100 women from the hinterlands are being provided with scholarships for maritime training.
Mrs. Ali said that efforts like these must continue with support from partners like ACMF, which has since provided scholarships to 42 Guyanese.

“…it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the 42 scholarships which have been provided to Guyanese through the Foundation for Maritime Training. As Guyana’s maritime sector continues to rapidly expand, these kinds of investments in local companies and in our human resource will prove to be invaluable to our nation’s development,” she said.

Mrs. Ali also used the opportunity to urge players in the industry to reassess their individual and collective roles – both at the national and regional levels – and to rethink as industry professionals, government officials, diplomats, experts, and even advocates how they could build an industry that is more resilient, reliable, and inclusive.

The event was attended by a number of officials including President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, Michael Bayley; President of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Professor Andrew Spencer; President of ACMF, Dr. Geneive Brown Metzger; and Director-General of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Rear Admiral Peter Brady among others.

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Title:

Content: Women severely underrepresented in construction, but that’s changing

What you need to know:

  • In nearly every construction site I encounter, the workforce is overwhelmingly male.
  • The term ‘foreman’ is deeply ingrained in our collective lexicon, while phrases like ‘forewoman’ or the more inclusive ‘foreperson’ remain relatively uncommon.

Across the country, construction sites are a hive of activity, with the government’s ambitious affordable housing project leading the charge. Whenever I pass through these bustling sites, I can’t help but notice the workers clad in overalls, their faces dusted with cement powder as they push wheelbarrows brimming with mortar. Amidst this flurry of activity, one figure stands out – the foreman, barking instructions and overseeing the skilled artisans, or fundis, as they are commonly known.

Interestingly, in nearly every construction site I encounter, the workforce is overwhelmingly male. Rarely do I spot a woman among the fundis, save for the occasional food vendor. Historically, the construction industry has been a predominantly male bastion, a fact reflected in the terminology we use – the term ‘foreman’ is deeply ingrained in our collective lexicon, while phrases like ‘forewoman’ or the more inclusive ‘foreperson’ remain relatively uncommon.

While the underrepresentation of women in this field is a global issue, the challenges faced by women in this industry are particularly pronounced in Africa. This gender imbalance reflects a deeper, systemic issue within the construction sector. For too long, this industry has been perceived as a ‘man’s playground’, with women often relegated to peripheral roles or excluded entirely. The reasons for this disparity are multifaceted, ranging from societal norms and gender stereotypes, to a lack of equal opportunities and support systems for women seeking careers in this field.

Limited access to education and training opportunities, particularly in Stem fields, hinders women’s preparedness for technical roles. Furthermore, societal expectations and domestic responsibilities frequently clash with the demanding nature of construction work, making it difficult for women to balance their professional and personal lives. This gender imbalance not only perpetuates inequality but also deprives the industry of the valuable contributions and perspectives that women can bring to the table. However, times are changing, and more women are breaking into the industry, driven by their passion, determination, and desire to contribute to community development. Despite obstacles such as teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and societal pressures, many carved out their place in this male-dominated field.

Their stories are a testament to the power of perseverance and an unwavering commitment to pursuing their dreams. From the high school dropout who found her calling on a construction site, to the young mother who juggled parenting responsibilities while mastering the art of bricklaying, these women have shattered stereotypes and proved that no challenge is too great when met with an indomitable spirit. Through their journeys, they have not only acquired valuable skills and experience but have also become beacons of inspiration for others.

This week, we celebrate these trailblazers, exploring their unique paths and the lessons they have learned along the way. Their stories offer a candid glimpse into the challenges and triumphs that have shaped their lives, from navigating male-dominated workplaces to balancing family responsibilities with demanding careers. As we strive to create a more inclusive and equitable society, it is imperative that we challenge the deeply ingrained biases and stereotypes that have traditionally kept women on the sidelines of the construction industry.

The government can play a pivotal role by implementing initiatives that support and empower women in this field, including investing in educational programmes, vocational training, mentorship opportunities, and inclusive policies that promote gender equality and non-discrimination. This way, we can empower a new generation of women to take their rightful place alongside their male counterparts, ushering in an era of diversity and excellence in this vital sector.

Empowering women in the construction industry can have far-reaching benefits, contributing to the overall advancement of gender equality and sustainable development in the country.

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?

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?

This underrepresentation was rooted in deep-seated cultural stereotypes, societal norms, and workplace practices that defined construction as a "man’s playground," relegating women to peripheral roles or excluding them entirely .

Title:

Content: The managing director of a Liverpool property developer has shared her message to girls hoping to get into the construction industry.

Joanne Waller, 43, heads Sourced Development Group, a property firm focusing on residential and commercial schemes with sites across Liverpool and Manchester.

Her love of the property industry started when she was studying conveyancing law at Hugh Baird College and Sourced now has 1,500 to 2,000 units in its Liverpool pipeline alone.

READ MORE: Thomas Cashman trial updates as jury told of moment mum realised Olivia Pratt-Korbel had been shot

Joanne told the ECHO she started moving into development after growing disillusioned with her career in conveyancing. She added: "Law is quite a hard industry to be in as a woman.

"It's hard to be recognised and seen. Most of the time, the only high level women are secretaries."

Joanne's transition was gradual, working on small projects. She added: "I think if I walked into it on day one right now, I'd run a mile. But because it was slow incline, going through property and small refurbishments and taking more things on, I think 'OK'.

"It wasn't intentional. It's like with any career, you kind of fall into it and it organically progresses. I know when I was first in college everyone was doing hairdressing or beauty and the opportunities just weren't there."

However, Joanne admits the industry in general can be a bit "jobs for boys". She told the ECHO: "I've been in countless meetings in board rooms and someone asks when I'm going to make a cup of tea

"More often that not it's just an educational thing. it tends to happen more with the older generation. The younger generation it's a lot easier and more inclusive."

What would Joanne say to young women exploring a career in property and construction? "Do it," she told the ECHO.

"There are definitely more women starting to trickle through into roles such as machine drivers and hoist operators. There are also more female architects and engineers."

She added that multi-tasking is also a skill "unique to women". She said: "They're juggling careers and childcare, it's just one more thing to worry about it."

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What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

**Breaking Down Traditional Gender Barriers** The transformation of the construction industry is being driven by several converging factors.

**Breaking Down Traditional Gender Barriers** The transformation of the construction industry is being driven by several converging factors.

**Breaking Down Traditional Gender Barriers** The transformation of the construction industry is being driven by several converging factors.

Technological advancements have modernized the field, shifting many roles from physically demanding blue-collar work to more technology-oriented positions involving virtual modeling, AI, data analytics, and the use of drones .

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.

This shift has broadened the scope of available roles, making construction more appealing to tech-savvy individuals, including women who are drawn to collaborative problem-solving and innovation .

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?

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

Companies like Suffolk Construction now report that over 30% of their South Florida team is female, reflecting increased inclusivity and the opening of new opportunities for women .

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?

The integration of technology not only enhances efficiency but also creates new roles that women can fill, further attracting a diverse workforce .

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?

Targeted educational and training initiatives are crucial in empowering women to enter and excel in construction.

Targeted educational and training initiatives are crucial in empowering women to enter and excel in construction.

Targeted educational and training initiatives are crucial in empowering women to enter and excel in construction.

Programs such as West Virginia Women Work provide training across various trades, connecting women with unions and job opportunities, and enhancing their employability in nontraditional occupations .

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Training Program Helps Women Take Advantage Of Construction Boom

Carpenter apprentice Brook Moyle always knew she wanted to make things.

“I love working with my hands,” Moyle said. “I like creating something. I like seeing my efforts build something.”

Moyle is a motivated person. She rode an electric bike from Fairmont to Elkins to make sure she made it to the first day of her apprenticeship. But Moyle said she didn’t think she had a chance at being a carpenter, or, at best, her dream was on the backburner while she worked other jobs in telemarketing and McDonalds. That is until she found West Virginia Women Work.

“They go through specific training courses, they go through almost all the trades, and then you get to kind of at least have the skills to pick something,” Moyle said. “If you do graduate from the program, you are kind of like put above the stock for anyone who did not, and tried to get into a union or a job or anything, because they have the connections to make that happen.”

Founded in 2000, West Virginia Women Work helps women explore, train, and secure employment in nontraditional occupations, especially the skilled trades.

“Especially in West Virginia, a four year degree isn't for everybody," said Carol Phillips, executive director of the program. "And just learning about, especially for women, the skilled trades, which maybe they didn't learn about in school or at home just due to gender roles,” she said. “Teaching people that you can come through this pre-apprenticeship program, you can join union apprenticeships, private apprenticeships, enter directly into skilled trades positions and make, you know, twice what you might make as a nursing assistant or even a school teacher. Just letting women know that there's opportunity.”

Earlier this month, Gov. Jim Justice announced $500 million for improvements to bridges across West Virginia. There are also several newly announced major construction projects, like the Nucor plant, that will need workers to make them a reality. For Phillips, the trained people from West Virginia Women Work are an obvious choice.

“We work with companies, unions, and groups on their equity planning,” she said. “If you're going to need 500 workers for something in the next six months, where are you going to get those from? We want those to come from West Virginia. If you're saying the workers aren't here, maybe you need to look at a more diverse group of workers.”

West Virginia Women Work prepares women for those roles through the Step Up for Women Construction Program, a tuition-free employment-based skilled trade training program designed to prepare adult women for entry-level positions in the construction industry and registered apprenticeships.

Nichole Stephenson is the Charleston program coordinator for Step Up for Women Construction training. Before going through the program herself, Stephenson was in healthcare for 10 years, but wasn’t happy. Despite being exposed to the trades her entire life, she never considered it an option.

“All of the men in my family are tradesmen, every single one,” she said. “I held the flashlight for every man in my family. My dad always said, ‘I work this hard, so you don't have to.’ What he didn't realize, and I don't think I realized at the time is, I loved it, I loved it.”

Choice is an important aspect of the program for Stephenson. Program students cycle through training in carpentry, electrical, plumbing and welding so that they can figure out what trade works best for them.

“This is a non-judgmental zone. So if you can’t hold a hammer, we teach you the proper way to do it. You don't walk onto a job site and, ‘She doesn't know what she's doing,’” Stephenson said. “What we do as coordinators is really work with students and watch them and see where their gifts are, and you know what they really tend to do well, and they find enjoyment in. It's not, ‘Well, I'm an electrician, because my dad was an electrician.’ It's choices, we show them so many things.”

Building confidence is baked into the program. Students are also coached on what Stephenson calls “soft skills,” things like interviewing and budgeting for delays in the weather-dependent construction industry.

Lakeisha Hines is the Morgantown program coordinator for Step Up for Women Construction. Like Stephenson, she also went through the program while seeking out a more promising professional future.

“We want to get the safety with OSHA 10 out of the way first, so we make sure that they are safety conscious, because that's the most important thing when you're working in construction,” Hines said. “Then we kind of sprinkle in some of the soft skills along with the handling portions of the program.”

Students also get a chance to visit project sites and speak to program graduates. Hines said it helps students see the future they’re working towards past the 12 weeks of training.

“I think it's empowering to them to see where somebody started, and a lot of those people have the same stories,” Hines said. “It starts with them actually applying and knowing that they can do the work, too. I think our program starts to get their self-confidence up, lets them know that they can do it. And these women tell their daughters that they can do it. And it's just like a trickle down effect.”

The next program in Charleston and Morgantown starts Feb. 27 and is currently accepting applications.

North Central/Morgantown Reporter, cschulz@wvpublic.org, 304-284-1497, @SchulzReports

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

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

educational programs
vocational training

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

Events like Transportation & Construction GIRL Day offer hands-on experiences in trades such as welding and concrete making, demystifying the field and encouraging young women to consider construction careers .

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

educational programs
vocational training

Scholarship and mentorship programs, such as New Zealand’s Tūrama Scholars Programme, further support underrepresented groups, including women, by fostering skills development in tech and construction fields .

Title:

Content: Advertisement

Professional Women in Building surprise single mom with makeover

Published: Sep. 17, 2021 at 5:58 PM CDT|Updated: 49 minutes ago

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - A group of about 40 women from Bismarck and Mandan, working in a traditionally male-dominated field, came together earlier this year to support each other.

The Bismarck-Mandan Professional Women in Building (PWB) just wrapped up celebrating Professional Women in Building Week in a big way.

“Surprisingly, there’s a lot of women out there that are making these companies work,” Vicki Moran, president of PWB, said about the group coming together.

All year, the group set out to celebrate their drive, commitment to give back and heart for their community by making a positive difference.

That giving spirit reached new levels this week when they unveiled a complete bedroom makeover for one lucky person.

“We had so many deserving people. But, Abby’s application came through, and she had told us she’s a single mom with two little boys,” said Hannah Haynes, a PWB member.

Abby Krebs is now a single mother to a three- and five-year-old after losing her husband in an ATV accident last April. Like so many other parents she needed some space to recharge.

“I spend a lot of time in my room. Pretty much, when my kids go to bed, I go in there and read and watch tv,” Abby said. “Or in the morning, they come in and snuggle on the bed.”

In just two weeks, and with support from over a dozen local companies, the women transformed Abby’s oasis. Lindsey Ashley and Nataly Anderson of Tobias Marman Construction offered project management and interior design expertise.

The project was made possible by Bismarck Heating & Air, Haider Glass Specialties, Big River Builders, The Painters Inc., Paramount Builders, Interiors by Design, Erica Thune Photography, Interior Finish & Remodel, River + Ranch Magazine, Dakota Community Bank & Trust, Organize with Lexi, Mattress Firm, Magi-Touch Carpet One and Precision Wood Finish.

“Coming together as a group, this master bedroom makeover is beyond my wildest dreams,” Moran said. “It’s not something any one of us could have done alone. But as a collaboration, it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished.”

In the end, their gift was much more than a new design, carpet, paint and décor. The team saw one woman who built a strong foundation for her family, then built her some room to rest easy.

“It’s more than I could have ever imagined,” Abby said of the final product.

You can find the Bismarck-Mandan Professional Women in Building on Facebook to learn more.

Copyright 2021 KFYR. All rights reserved.

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

educational programs
inclusive policies
mentorship opportunities
vocational training

**Mentorship, Networking, and Supportive Environments** Mentorship is a cornerstone in advancing gender equality in crane operation and construction.

**Mentorship, Networking, and Supportive Environments** Mentorship is a cornerstone in advancing gender equality in crane operation and construction.

**Mentorship, Networking, and Supportive Environments** Mentorship is a cornerstone in advancing gender equality in crane operation and construction.

Structured mentorship initiatives, skill-building workshops, and leadership development programs tailored for women help build confidence and sector-specific knowledge .

Title:

Content: Advertisement
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CASA Foundation's Dr. Olutoyin Oyelade On Supporting Black Women Entrepreneurs

When Dr. Olutoyin Oyelade founded CASA Foundation, she never imagined that it would grow as much as it has.

CASA Foundation started as a non-profit that focused on spearheading social change in developing local communities. Since then, it has grown into a 21-person staff, with many volunteers, that serves three provinces through the continued empowerment of youths and women. And there’s even more planned for the future.

Two programs in particular, with the support of TD through the TD Ready Commitment, have soared to become pillars of the community: Women Inspire and Entrepreneurs Exchange. These programs connect aspiring entrepreneurs with the right people to get their business dreams off the ground.

A native of Nigeria who had an illustrious career before coming here, Dr. Oyelade was inspired to start CASA Foundation and become a mentor after experiencing the barriers new Canadians often face getting into business.

Complex Canada caught up with Dr. Oyelade to talk about CASA Foundation mentoring Black women entrepreneurs, TD support of CASA through the TD Ready Commitment, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Why did you decide to start CASA Foundation? What was the original mission?I had always wanted to give back. Maybe it’s because of all the things that I had done before I came into Canada, but with the experience I had, I wanted to create a platform where people can benefit. I wanted to create a place where everyone can share ideas, find mentorship, and eventually be in a position to get funding. We started online and we’ve since added events and other opportunities for people to come together. But it really started with my personal experiences, understanding that there was a need, and realizing that I was in a position to do something about it.

Why is it important for you to give back and provide mentorship?I wanted to make an impact. I wanted to do work to help alleviate some of the challenges people face in business. When you have experience, and you can see there are people who can benefit from your experience, you feel compelled to want to help. It feels good to touch the lives of others, and this is the best way I can do it. I think people learn more effectively when they have someone to follow as an example, or have other people who share the same experiences.

Tell us a bit more about these two particular CASA Foundation programs: Women Inspire and Entrepreneurs Exchange?Women Inspire is an annual forum that was created solely to support women-owned businesses and empower women to start and run their businesses by connecting their ideas with the right channels to make their goals happen. When you look at the statistics, generally speaking women have less access to funding in terms of private equity or bank loans, and that’s usually the biggest impediment to getting started in business, so we wanted to connect women to potential funding. Entrepreneurs Exchange is a program that tries to do this, as well. The goal of the program is to improve the economic opportunities for women by giving them the tools to build their businesses.

How have you teamed up with TD for these two programs?We've been running the programs for over two years now after we received funding in 2022 through the TD Ready Commitment. With this funding, we’ve been able to support over 40 women with launching their businesses. TD not only provided program funding, they also provided employees to come to our classes and help address business questions such as: How to prepare a business plan; How to present a value proposition; How to incorporate your business; Why you should keep your business accounts separate from your personal finances. It takes a lot of resources to accomplish what we want, and TD has been so supportive.

What are some challenges you experienced in your career development that you’re hoping to make easier for the next generation with Casa Foundation?Collaboration is key in everything we're doing, so I see now that positive results come from a very healthy ecosystem of support that we get from people all around us. Can you find within your ecosystem of support people that will buy from you so you can start your business? But if you don't have people, like a platform or group, where you can advertise and say "Here I am, this is my new initiative,” where do you start? So by providing that early level of collaboration, women can feel more comfortable to start their businesses because they’ll have peace of mind knowing there is support from the beginning. That’s what we want to see for every woman entrepreneur in the future.

You talk about work-life balance on social media. Is that something that comes up a lot among aspiring entrepreneurs?That’s another important part of mentorship as well. The domestic part of life always comes into business, whether it’s children, or a spouse. So mentorship can often take the form of letting a woman know that she can start a business, and there are ways to juggle all the work at home with the work of starting a business. And sharing our experiences of doing that really opens eyes, because if you have those examples of women who were able to do both, then you’ll feel you can do it as well.

What are you most proud of about CASA Foundation?I think it's the impact that we have made in the lives of a lot of our constituents. People who never believed anything could come out of this, particularly during the pandemic. It’s one thing during normal times, when you kept at it, kept pushing, you got some support, and you were able to push on. But I think with the pandemic, we're proud of the impact that we have made: the accomplishments, the women, and the businesses that they've now opened, and the people who have received grants. That’s been what CASA Foundation is all about. We’re proud of the women who rose up during the pandemic, during incredibly difficult times, who were able to take part in the program and now have incredible results to show for it. Some of them have expanded their businesses, some have gone outside Canada to Asia and other markets. Some even created new businesses. It really shows that when women are challenged, they can truly rise up and make a difference in their communities. It has been amazing to see and be a part of.

For more information on Casa Foundation, click here. TD is proud to support Black-led organizations like CASA Foundation through the TD Ready Commitment and leaders like Dr. Olutoyin Oyelade inspiring the next generation. To learn more about TD's commitment to helping create a more inclusive tomorrow, click here.

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

educational programs
mentorship opportunities
vocational training

Supportive work environments, where colleagues focus on ability rather than gender, are essential.

Supportive work environments, where colleagues focus on ability rather than gender, are essential.

For example, Amelia Walker-Ross, a female service manager at Penske Canada, thrived in a welcoming atmosphere among male colleagues in trucking, despite earlier pushback in the automotive industry .

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Content: Pueblo, Colo. — More and more women are entering the construction industry, but according to Candi Hurd, there’s still room for plenty more.

Hurd is the Quality Control Lead of IndieDwell Colorado and she’s trying to start a local chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). NAWIC offers members education, support and networking and Hurd needs about 10 more members to establish the chapter.

Hurd is holding an informational meeting Thursday, January 12 at 5 p.m. at IndieDwell Colorado (205 N. Elizabeth Street). Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to Hurd at churd@indiedwell.com

Peer support systems and networking opportunities are vital for fostering inclusion and providing guidance, helping to reduce feelings of isolation or being undervalued .

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?

inclusive policies
mentorship opportunities

Networks such as 100 Women in Finance in Nigeria demonstrate how connecting women in leadership roles can inspire and mentor younger generations, a model applicable to construction and crane operation sectors .

Title:

Content: By Conor McCue

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – Transportation & Construction GIRL Day returned for the fourth time in five years after the pandemic put it on pause in 2020. The annual event, which is free to attend for girls, is put on by the HOYA Foundation.

It’s geared toward educating young women about careers in the male-dominated construction and transportation industries.

(credit: CBS)

READ MORE: Ptarmigan Fire: Hundreds Remain Evacuated, New Evacuations Ordered After Wildfire Started Near Homes In Summit County

Through the trial and error of flying a drone for the first time, Lilly Gonzales opened her eyes to new possibilities at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Tuesday.

“I almost got one stuck in a tree!” she exclaimed.

Other firsts for the 9 year old included welding and making concrete. Never had her hopes of becoming an electrician or engineer seemed so attainable.

“I just like taking things apart and rebuilding creative things, especially in Minecraft. It’s like my favorite game,” Gonzales said.

“This kind of shows me that I can do anything.”

Gonzales was one of hundreds of girls and young women who attended Transportation & Construction GIRL Day. The event is meant to show young women, ages 8 to 23, who’ve never considered a career in the transportation and construction industry a possibility.

READ MORE: Former Idaho Springs Police Officer, Nicholas Hanning, Faces Civil Lawsuit For Separate Controversial Arrest

“Last year, the construction and transportation industry was an essential industry, so we kept working, and we still need more employees,” said Keller Hayes, Director of Transportation & Construction GIRL.

(credit: CBS)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up only 10.9 percent employees in the construction industry in 2020, an increase from 2016, when the figure was 8%.

Hayes says the opportunities are aplenty for women and the jobs can be lucrative. Part of her organization’s mission is to relay that message to a younger audience.

“There’s so many opportunities and they get paid well,” Hayes said. “In the construction industry, you get 99 cents on the dollar for comparable work to men, in comparison to 82 cents on the dollar.”

On Tuesday, employers hosted dozens of hands-on exhibits in the hopes of creating a lasting spark for attendees. The next challenge will be to nurture it so more new faces pursue a career down the road.

“Girls can do anything, even when it’s hard,” said Gonzales.

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“We want you in this industry, how can we help support you in getting you into this industry,” Hayes said.

Conor McCue

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

women's networks
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?

Specific programs like Sisters in Mining provide on-the-job coaching and structured learning for women entering male-dominated sectors, helping them build skills and confidence .

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WKN: 885427 | ISIN: CA29250N1050 | Ticker-Symbol: EN3
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Enbridge: A Choice for Women Who 'WANTT' a Non-Traditional Career

In Oklahoma, fledgling non-profit helps women enter the construction industry through pre-apprenticeships

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 12, 2024 / While catching up over coffee, friends Laura Stauffer, a petroleum engineer, and Margot Heyne-Bell, a retired electrician, wondered what they could do to encourage women in Oklahoma to pursue construction trades.

Both had heard stories of women working minimum-wage jobs, struggling to support their families. They also knew the state has low rates of women working in construction. How could they show women all the opportunities a career in a non-traditional trade could provide?

As they sipped their beverages, Heyne-Bell reflected that she got her start 37 years ago through a pre-apprenticeship program, ANEW, based in Seattle.

The pair had their answer: they could launch a program just like the one Heyne-Bell attended decades earlier.

Within months of their 2021 meeting, Stauffer and Heyne-Bell founded Women Accessing Non-Traditional Trades (WANTT), a non-profit organization that delivers a pre-apprenticeship program to help prepare women for a career in the construction industry.

"We can open doors," Stauffer explains. "We can help them find the type of job they want-it could be an electrician, it could be a plumber, it could be an HVAC contractor, it could be a laborer. It depends what they have interest in."

What the organization does is create a path for women to upgrade their skills and education. They learn how to use hand and power tools and how to read a blueprint; they take classes on basic construction math; and earn certifications such as OSHA for occupational health and safety, and CPR first aid.

"We teach basic skills so that when they walk on a job site, they're comfortable being there," Stauffer adds.

To date, the eight-week program has welcomed two cohorts, and they're preparing for their third in 2024.

Although WANTT is in its infancy, Enbridge recognizes the organization is transforming the lives of women and their families, giving them opportunities they never thought possible.

WANTT's mission aligns with our workforce diversity goals, as well as our company's commitment to help empower individuals to reach their potential. To support WANTT's important work, we awarded the non-profit a $15,000 Fueling Futures grant in 2023. By helping women find stable careers in the trades and earn liveable wages, WANTT is enriching the whole community.

Beyond the classroom, WANTT hosts a job fair for students to meet potential employers and assist them with the next phase of their apprenticeship.

"We recruit, we train, and then we help them get a job," Stauffer notes.

Oklahoma is starting to see large numbers of workers aging out of construction, she explains.

"There's going to be jobs coming, and there's going to be a demand-why not fill them with women?"

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Enbridge
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge
Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Enbridge

View the original press release on accesswire.com

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

educational programs
mentorship opportunities
vocational training

The S.H.E.

The S.H.E.

Trucking Foundation offers mentorship, education, and support tailored to women drivers, illustrating the effectiveness of targeted mentorship programs in helping women navigate industry challenges .

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Content: Zim woman truck driver in Europe
7 October 2023
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A 29-year-old woman from Zimbabwe is a social media sensation after making a name for herself as one of Europe’s top truck drivers. The achievement is one for the books for Sikhanyisiwe Tazvitya, who was once a maid in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

Popularly known as @Laydytruckerzim, Sikhanyisiwe Tazvitya, is a proud trucker in Warsaw, Poland, where she now lives and works. With over 100,000 Facebook followers, the former maid turned earthmoving equipment operator, says she is proud of her achievement.

“I started as a maid in Harare and then I decided to upgrade myself to Earthmoving Equipment Operator, but it was not easy because my salary was very little but through dedication and asking for help from my family and that’s when my life changed. Now I am a truck driver.”, she said.

Tazvitya says that she didn’t want to settle as an earthmoving equipment operator and decided to pursue a training course in the male-dominated field of driving. “The Earthmoving job did not stop me from wanting more, I did it all and still saved up for Truck Driving Training, and here we are today, doing what most men are failing to do. This is my story and now I live in Poland.”

To many men and women who have followed her journey, Tazvitya has been an inspiration. Fellow Zimbabwean, Hope Magara of the Midlands, who also now lives in Poland, says she is now a trucker thanks to Tazvitya. She said, “Sikhanyisiwe was my first driver, trainer and mentor, now I am here in Poland working, she is very kind and a blessing. It is doable. To other women out there, If I can do it, so can you. Never give up”.

Fellow Zimbabwean Zamani Dhlodhlo, is already working as a truck driver in South Africa, but is planning to join Tazvitya in Poland. Through her @LadytruckerZim Facebook page, Tazvitya has been helping many like Dhlodhlo process documents to work abroad. Mr Dhlodhlo said, “I am a truck driver in South Africa, I have already completed my application process. I have my work permit ready, I am just waiting on my visa and I will be off to Poland. Many companies in Europe have no idea how much of a treasure Tazvitya is because as she helps us, she is also helping them with their labor needs.”

As a single mother of two children, Tazvitya says she wants to see more women succeed in anything they pursue by staying true to their dreams. “Believe in yourself, take calculated risks, work hard, take care of yourself, stay true to yourself and ignore negativity. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your goals. Stay hungry, fight harder and never give up. We can do this, and don’t forget to pray.”

For now, Tazvitya has no plans to leave the trucking business anytime soon and hopes to continue inspiring others.

These initiatives emphasize hands-on training combined with mentorship to empower women in their careers .

Title:

Content: BusinessDay

100 Women in Finance: Offering Nigerian female CEOs a platform for international exposure

Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe is a female managing director/CEO of the Fidelity Bank PLC, while Mariam Olusanya is another female managing director of the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. Both women, who are currently at the topmost level of their careers in the field of finance, an industry that is male-dominated, are the first females to hold their current positions as chief executives.

Just like Onyeali-Ikpe and Olusanya, there are several other banks’ chief executives and women in top leadership roles in other financial institutions as statistics have shown that Nigeria has about nine female CEOs in the banks and several others sitting on the board of other financial institutions at various capacities.

Interestingly, these women have limited platforms to connect with each other both home and abroad, and most importantly to mentor the younger generation of female leaders in order to ensure that there is progression among women.

This was one of the major reasons a global organisation known as the 100 Women in Finance made its debut in Nigeria, with the aim of helping these women and many others to connect to their peers in the finance industry across the world.

To get this going, Amanda Pullinger, the Chief Executive Officer of 100 Women in Finance, visited Nigeria for the first time last week to officially launch the Nigeria chapter of 100 Women in Lagos and inaugurate the Nigeria Working Group championed by four amazing women, who are at the top leadership in their various firms.

These women include Tariye Gbadegesin, managing director/ CEO of ARM Harith Infrastructure Investment Corporation; Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, founder/ managing partner of Aruwa Capital Management; Taiwo Okwor, vice president of Africa Finance Corporation and Nieros Oyegun Soerensen, principal/chief operating officer of Verod Capital.

Amazingly, the number of women in high-level roles in the banks and other financial institutions, as well as the number of women who are chairing boards for the financial institutions is very high.

“I can tell you that the percentage of women in those roles in Nigeria is far higher than in the UK or US. Yet, the rest of the world does not know who they are, and do not know the story of what is going on in Nigeria,” said Amanda Pullinger, the chief executive officer of 100 Women in Finance, during a cocktail reception in her honour held in Lagos last week.

To give Nigerian female chief executives global exposure, a Zambia-born Dambisa Moyo, who is an economist and a board member, gave 100 Women a generous donation to set up 100 Women Working Groups in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.

By setting up the organisation in Nigeria, the outside world will now be able to know what is going on here, and women who are in the finance industry in Nigeria will have a global platform to connect to.

According to Pullinger, “What is critical about this was to elevate the role of women who are experts in their fields. So, it is good for those women themselves because they also inspire the next generation of young women particularly black women.”

Findings have shown that being a woman in the finance industry is usually a lonely place, such that the more senior you get, the lonelier it becomes.

This is where 100 Women, according to Pullinger, want to help women find their people. “If it is only helping women in Lagos connect here, and then find women in London, Hong Kong, or New York who they can identify with, and have a real conversation, we have succeeded.”

On her plans for Nigeria, Pullinger said: “The first step is to connect women who are already here. We also want to be able to put Nigeria on the map as the place the rest of the world should be looking at. One of the issues for Nigeria and Africa is the fact that there is still that negative perception.

The outside world sees all of the problems and none of the opportunities. We will like to demonstrate the fact that there are within our organisation men and women who are on the ground here, fighting for the risk management issues. Who understand the challenges, and have found institutional ways to overcome that.”

On her part, Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, the founder and managing partner of Aruwa Capital Management, a firm that focuses on investing in a business that is either for women or by women, said that 100 Women is about bringing women with likes minds together, to do business together, network, and create a community.

100 Women in Finance, according to her, brings together women in finance roles whether in private equity, investment banking, and hedge funds to network and to learn from one another, as they open a chapter in Nigeria.

Rhodes, who is a member of the Nigeria Working Group, said that Nigeria, which already has a very strong network of women in finance, is looking to be empowered by giving them an international voice and a network to ensure retention and progression.

“Most times, we see a lot of women at the bottom-level and no woman at the top level but where there is a peer network like 100 Women, they can lean on it as they progress in their career. It will also connect us to other global opportunities,” she said.

Explaining further, Rhodes said: “What resonated with me about 100 Women in Finance is the peer networking and there are great opportunities in any city you are in, you can reach out to 100 Women in Finance members.

There is that global exposure, which gives the opportunity to interact one on one with global institutional investors around the world. There is also the ability to go back and impact the next generation of women coming up in finance. There is also international visibility and access to educational materials.”

Giving insight on why she joined 100 Women, Taiwo Okwor, vice president of Africa Finance Corporation, who is also a member of the working group, said the important part of joining the group is about international orientation.

According to her, the world has become so global and it allows people to look at things from an international perceptive. “My dream for the Nigerian chapter of 100 Women in Finance is about bringing some educational programmes from international perceptive because the world is so competitive and we cannot afford to be local anymore.”

Tariye Gbadegesin, CEO of ARM Harith Infrastructure Investment Corporation, another member of the Nigeria working group, who joined the group about a year ago, said she was attracted to the group by a number of representations of women from across the globe who participated in a panel that she was invited to join.

The engagement, she said, enabled her to build a network with women from hedge funds from Australia, London, and so on.

“One of the things that have been very important to me in building this career is how to build a relationship because we are going to live and die by our relationships. It is the relationship that pulls you up when you are down and when you want to give up,” she added.

On challenges faced by women in finance, Elizabeth Uwaifo, Partner ASAFO & Co, who spoke in a panel discussion, listed loneliness at the top as a major challenge for her.

She said that women at the top level of their career really had the time to catch up with the news of what is happing and understand the industry, which for her is where the 100 Women comes in very handy because it brings her close to other women in a similar position as hers.

To her, aside from offloading, such women also encourage and empower you to be on top of your game.

Another panelist, Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, a board member of Stanbic IBTC, advised women looking to progress in their own career to learn to hoot their own horn in order to become visible because visibility is critical.

Read also: 100 Women in Finance launches in Nigeria to bridge gender gap

Begho, who was a woman in tech before sitting on the board of Stanbic, said that she has been very intentional about building her own brand and positioning herself as a top leader.

“I have realised that building my profile has helped to bring those opportunities to me. I have also realised that one really needs a support network and people around who have gone through that journey, and can be your adviser at that time in your career,” she explained.

On the importance of mentoring, Olaitan Martins, group executive, Corporate Banking of First Bank Nigeria said is a voice that provides a wealth of experience to younger ones, as well as guidance and support to the younger generation.

Mentoring, according to her, is very important because there is a need to help the younger ones to grow because it is retaining the women in the workforce and imbibing in women that they do not have to choose between their families and career but that they can do both together.

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

educational programs
mentorship opportunities
vocational training

**Inspiring Case Studies and Success Stories** Numerous women have become role models by excelling in traditionally male roles, inspiring others to follow suit.

**Inspiring Case Studies and Success Stories** Numerous women have become role models by excelling in traditionally male roles, inspiring others to follow suit.

Rachael Reresi, a mechanic at Warrior Industry in Papua New Guinea, transitioned from a supportive educational background to earning respect within a male-dominated workplace, highlighting resilience and the potential for women to become future leaders in STEM-related industries .

Title:

Content: Business

Vedanta Aluminium: painting the manufacturing shopfloor rainbow

X

Every individual in an organisation brings with them diverse perspectives, work and life experiences, competencies, and a whole host of socio-cultural differences that add to the richness of workplace, in terms of skillsets and culture. The key to unleashing the potential of this diversity lies in inclusivity and belongingness. In other words, the benefits of diversity can be reaped by organizations that value these individual differences and strive to nurture a sense of belongingness within each individual for the team and company, so they align their strengths to pursue common goals.

India's largest aluminium producer, Vedanta Aluminium, is one such organization leading the way in making the manufacturing industry gender inclusive. Earlier this year, the company welcomed transgender professionals into the workforce – a significant stride in its mission of fostering diversity & inclusion. This puts the company among the handful of manufacturing companies in India and the world to have LGBTQIA+ employees in core operations.

Change is good

Globally, the manufacturing industry has long been a man's world, with prevalent stereotypical notions of jobs being dull, rugged and low-skilled. For decades, regressive norms questioning women's role in manufacturing shopfloors had deterred them from actively considering a meaningful career in manufacturing. This is despite the fact that women have successfully made their mark across various industry sectors, from banking to defence. Now take the case of LGBTQIA+ professionals, the world is yet to begin imagining a place for them in the manufacturing industry.

Even though manufacturing companies have leapfrogged into the future with extensive deployment of new age technologies, digital solutions and automations, which have made job roles smart, interesting and automated, the status quo has not changed a lot. The result being, a low gender diversity ratio, which is even more acute in the metals and mining sector, with the ratio being in low single digits.

In a heartening trend of late, we are witnessing increase in diversity in the metals and mining industry, thanks to greater awareness about various job roles, better education and the great equaliser known as technology. Take the case of Vedanta Aluminium. To build a diverse workforce, Vedanta Aluminium has been working extensively towards attracting high-potential women and LGBTQIA+ professionals to join its ranks. While the company has a higher percentage of women in its workforce, compared to industry average, this year, it crossed a milestone when it hired the first transgender employees at its Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary, the Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO). Four of the transgender employees are engaged as forklift operators at its Cast House, and three others in the Security function.

Unleashing the power of people

Vedanta Aluminium is not only India's largest producer of aluminium, but also one of the top global names in aluminium. Its products are market leaders the world-over, catering to core industries and sunrise sectors like electric mobility, aviation, construction, renewable energy, defence, aerospace, etc. across 30-40 countries. Most recently, Vedanta Aluminium was the first in India to produce low carbon 'green' aluminium, branded Restora, for climate-conscious customers looking to source responsibly. It is also the first company to supply Primary Foundry Alloy, Cylinderhead Alloy, High-Speed Billets, and many other special alloys for the first time in India, curbing the import-reliance of Indian industries. So, how does diversity and inclusion fit into this equation?

As Vedanta Aluminium's CEO, Mr. Rahul Sharma would say, "Diversity and inclusion are not just ingrained in our organisational culture, but it is how we do business. Our markets, customers and businesses are diverse and complex. To match that, we need to recruit people with diverse points of view, experiences, skills, backgrounds and education so that our business strategies are well-rounded to manage and grow our business. Within just one decade, Vedanta Aluminium became one of the world's top aluminium producers – a feat that would have been nigh impossible without the quality of our people and the rich diversity of thoughts, skills and ideas that they bring to the table. We take great pride and responsibility in being equal opportunity employers."

To address the prevalent gender gap and foster a culture of diversity & inclusion, in a sustainable manner, Vedanta Aluminium works on fundamental pillars of equitable workplace practices. These include:

• All job roles, no matter how non-traditional, are gender-agnostic and empowering.

• Employees are hired for their attitude, passion to learn and grow, and sound educational and technical qualifications.

• They are then provided with the best possible training from global experts, and professionally groomed by the leadership. In other words, they are set up to succeed.

• High potential talent is provided interventions such as classroom trainings, executive coaching, mentoring and put into accelerated developmental programmes.

• With world-class townships having ultra-modern amenities in the vicinity of the plants such as hospitals, schools, day-care centres, swimming pools, stadiums, gyms and advanced security systems, combined with industry leading people-practices, they are given an ecosystem designed to ensure they are supported at various life stages.

If that wasn't enough, Vedanta Aluminium is at a remarkable inflection point which allows for a lot of innovation, new ways of working – and a truly diverse and inclusive workplace that allows for unprecedented learning and a ringside view of global best practices. Since the company is constantly growing, developing new products and expanding its operations, its work-culture has the excitement of a start-up and the stability of a large global conglomerate, both at the same time!

Pride in diversity

The company realised very early on that it is the mindset and behaviour it needed to tackle to promote diversity at the workplace, and so, it set about creating an environment of inclusion and respect. Rahul Sharma adds, "Our objective is to build a wholesome culture, that makes our employees and partners feel welcomed, encouraged and empowered to deliver to the best of their potential. A diverse workforce ensures more prolific ideation, a better mix of skills and robust decision-making which leads to better rounded solutions and makes for enriching experiences. LGBTQIA+ professionals have long been an untapped talent pool for the manufacturing industry. Hence, we are now casting our talent acquisition net wider and looking to attract competent and ambitious LGBTQIA+ people to our workforce, for we truly believe that merit has no gender."

To ease the transgender hires' transition from the fringes of society to smart manufacturing plants, and help them evolve from semi-skilled people into professionals, Vedanta Aluminium adopted a three-step process:

Identification: Vedanta Aluminium worked with local NGOs and the transgender community at Korba, Chhattisgarh, to conduct a skill mapping study and identify transgender people with minimum required skills for working in a manufacturing industry.

Training: Post selection of such candidates, the company is taking them through an extensive training program aimed at honing the required skillsets, including soft-skills and business knowledge.

Building an empathetic & inclusive environment: Parallelly, Vedanta BALCO is also conducting gender-sensitization sessions for its workforce, with respect to the social and psychological challenges of trans people, proper code of conduct and ways of working to build a cohesive and encouraging environment for all.

And what do Vedanta Aluminium's transgender employees have to say about their experiences so far?

"I feel great working at Vedanta BALCO. The company has provided us with all required amenities, including housing. Whenever I go out, whether it is to buy groceries or to go to the hospital, people treat me with respect and talk to me nicely. I hope other companies follow the example set by Vedanta Aluminium and give transgender people opportunities in their organizations." – Ayesha Kumar, Security Professional

"Vedanta BALCO has given us a great platform to prove what we are capable of. Since we started working here, the local public's respect and acceptance of us has visibly grown. This is extremely heartening for me as an individual and to our transgender community." – Aysa Vishwakarma, Forklift Operator

"It has been 4 months since I started working at Vedanta BALCO. The workplace environment here is very conducive. People do not look at us or treat us differently. I feel really proud and happy working here." – Madhu Manikpuri, Security Professional

"The company is playing a significant role in bringing people from transgender communities to the mainstream by providing them with employment opportunities. I am really happy to be working here." – Roopa Kurrey, Forklift Operator

Shaping an inclusive tomorrow

With diversity and inclusion ingrained in Vedanta Aluminium's work culture, Respect, Care and Trust form three critical pillars of its value system. Together, they allow the company to explore the myriad dimensions of diversity of its workforce, and through inclusivity, nurture the best in its people to create sustainable value for its customers, communities and the country. The way the global economic order is evolving creates prime conditions for India to establish itself strongly as the manufacturing and value-addition destination of the world, with all the right levers like abundant natural resources, a strategic geographic location, huge captive demand, immense social & cultural diversity, and a deep talent pool of young professionals. It is, therefore, high time for manufacturing companies to capitalize on these emerging opportunities by closing their talent gap with the right people, without gender being a bar. May our diversity be the differentiator in the new world order.

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

What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

Sikhanyisiwe Tazvitya, a former maid from Zimbabwe, became a successful truck driver in Europe and now mentors other aspiring female truck drivers, helping them navigate industry challenges .

Title:

Content: Dr Agoi Faith Loice doubles up as a contractor and a lecturer at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Dr Agoi is also venturing into politics with a bid for the Woman Rep position in Kakamega County on a KANU ticket.

She speaks to Life&Style magazine about juggling between teaching and contraction work.

You joined the contractors world when you were a lecturer. How has the journey been?

I joined the construction industry out of passion. As a woman, venturing into the male-dominated industry has been a tough journey.

Most clients trust men more than women. When a woman applies for a tender, the first thing clients ask is whether you have the money to do the job.

I remember one client asking me who would sponsor the contract, but I never gave up. Whenever I win a tender, I always ensure that I do my best to complete within the set time-frame and deliver a good job.

And trust you me; women are the most trustable contractors nowadays. We are equally good at the task. I have been juggling between lecturing and construction. My presence on the ground has also helped prepare me for my political journey.

What motivated you to venture into a space that is majorly dominated by men?

Most careers are dominated by men and we are not going to shy away from them because they are well-paying. When you work hard, you win the trust of a client.

One day I was approached by a friend who was in the construction industry asking me whether I could join her to do the work, but I wasn’t sure about wanting to try it out.

She approached me the second time and I decided to give it a try. I did the work so well and thereafter I could get a number of referrals. I have now been doing this for the last seven years.

What kind of contractual work do you do?

I love constructing residential houses. I get motivated when a client loves my work.

I also love my lecturing job as it offers a sense of fulfillment.

What were you doing before you started lecturing?

I started my career as a teacher. While at it, I sold timber and this is where I got motivation to become a contractor. People would buy timber form me and in the process ask for a contractor. I enrolled for a few courses in construction and since then I have never looked back.

You ran several projects aimed at helping young women. Tell us more

As a leader who mentors young lecturers, I have always held elderly people close to my heart. Whenever I have celebrations like my birthday, I always invite them to celebrate with me.

I am supporting close to 200 elderly women — I buy them foodstuff and household items.

I have bought 10 machines for the purification of water for 10 women groups. This has enabled them to have access to clean drinking water.

I also support young women in football by donating balls, uniforms and other necessities while also encouraging them to remain focused.

What challenges have you encountered in your line of duty and how have you overcome them?

The stereotype that construction is a man’s affair. For us outside the city, it’s quite hard to penetrate the market.

But once you complete a project on time, it’s a plus.

What is your biggest fear?

I fear heights

What do your days look like?

I normally have busy days now that I do construction work on top of lecturing.

I head to a site first thing in the morning and then schedule a meeting with a client. We do a site visit after which I meet my team for the day’s briefing.

When not at the site, I am in a lecture hall teaching human resources at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

And as an aspirant in the upcoming elections, I meet with my campaign teams every evening to strategise.

What drives you?

The dreams and visions I have keep me going no matter the challenges I encounter.

If you were given a chance to mentor women, what would you tell them?

I would encourage women to never look at their situation. Rather, they should focus on their dreams. Always trust your dreams and believe in yourself before others can. And never allow anyone to look down on you.

When you are not getting down and dirty at a construction site, where would we find you?

I love travelling. I just love the wilderness. I also spend a lot of time on my fish farm and taking care of my animals.

You are aspiring to become the Kakamega woman representative?

It’s my wish that the people give me a chance to serve them in the next Parliament.

I am looking forward to a peaceful and prosperous county where all women and girls enjoy a high quality of life and a sense of belonging. I will promote their interest and advocate for equal opportunities while ensuring that Kakamega people meet their development aspirations.

I am also looking forward to constructing a gold refinery to help boost economic activity in the region.

In India, Tata Steel’s Meramandali facility employed four women as Stacker-cum Reclaimer operators for the first time, marking a significant milestone for gender balance in heavy industry roles .

Title:

Content: InYourArea Community

South west business builds a more equal foundation ahead of International Women's Day

Vistry Western now has an equal ratio of male and female directors, with a newly appointed female managing director at the helm

By Danielle Hicks

EMBRACING EQUALITY: Female directors at Vistry Western

International Women’s Day on March 8, provides the perfect opportunity to highlight achievements and #EmbraceEquality - the theme for 2023 - and one business that’s celebrating change this year is Vistry Western.

In the last 12 months, the region - which builds Bovis and Linden properties in South Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Wales - now has an equal ratio of male and female directors, with a newly appointed female managing director at the helm. Emma Colin, 38, is responsible for 142 employees and is joined on the board by Rachael Humphreys, regional land director; Sarah Sperring, regional customer service director; and Sue Scholfield, regional sales and marketing director, who also won the national Housebuilder of the Year Star Award in 2021.

Emma said: “International Women’s Day is important as it enables us to take a step back to reflect on our successes and review how we can make improvements to ensure our place of work is inclusive and provides equal opportunities for all. I’m proud Vistry Western has an equal number of male and female directors.

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“Having a balanced board provides different perspectives; we’re constantly learning from each other and it’s wonderful to see these different approaches having a positive effect on the working environment. In this day and age, having a balanced workforce should be the norm but in construction that is not the case.

“34 per cent of all of our employees at Vistry are female, compared to the industry’s 15 per cent average, but there’s still a lot of work to do to ensure we attract and retain a more diverse workforce. I feel the responsibility to call out behaviour, showcase best practise and be open about any struggles, so we can help spread change.”

Vistry places a strong emphasis on addressing imbalance and has an active Diversity and Inclusion working group and committee, which promotes equality and represents minority groups throughout the business.

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Emma added: “It’s great to see change happening. On the last site visit we held for UWE Bristol, we were really encouraged to see two thirds of the building surveying students were female.

“I’m really excited about the future at Vistry and will continue to champion change by encouraging more women into the industry - it’s a brilliant, dynamic place to work. This year, the western region will deliver over 500 properties across a range of developments, including large dual-branded consortium sites, joint venture schemes, and our first development in Wales.”

Ways Vistry Group has implemented change:

  • Between 2021-2022, Vistry promoted 11 females into director posts across the business.
  • Supported the use of the agile working policy to enable hybrid working.
  • Joined the ‘Women into Construction’ organisation, which has helped recruit women into all roles in the business.
  • Run events hosted by the ‘Women’s Network’ to promote the profile of women in construction.
  • Delivered recruitment training, which included the topic of ‘unconscious bias’ to support fair and consistent recruitment practice.
  • Analysed data on progression and pay gaps, particularly in light of the impact of covid, and produced action plans.
  • The company’s maternity leave policy has been reviewed and improved and the menopause guide sets out the support available to employees.

Get all the latest news, updates, things to do and more from your local InYourArea feed.

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

Irene Naliaka, a female truck driver, credits the support from male colleagues for helping her integrate into a male-dominated team .

Title:

Content: Thiess sisters doing it for themselves

Launched in 2013, Thiess’ Sisters in Mining (SIM) program enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to transition into the mining sector as trainee haul truck drivers.

The SIM Program was born out of Thiess’ reconciliation commitment to ensuring the economic benefits of mining contribute to, and empower, the culture and social aspirations of our First Nations peoples through the creation of long-term employment opportunities.

The program begins with a seven-day, pre-employment program to kick start their career in the mining industry. Building on participants’ prior experience and their preferred learning style, the 12-month program integrates on the job coaching, training in haul truck simulators, as well as structured learning through a vocational education and training (VET) course in Surface Extraction Operations.

Studies undertaken during the traineeship contribute to a nationally recognised qualification in Surface Extraction Operations.

Following successful completion of the program, most women take up permanent full-time positions as haul truck operators. In addition to the career-enhancing technical competencies acquired, participants receive important life-skills training and mentoring throughout the traineeship.

Now in its 10th year, the program has been rolled out across central Queensland projects including Curragh North, Lake Vermont, Caval Ridge and Peak Downs. The program has supported 75 women through to successful completion, with around 90 per cent of those women offered employment at Thiess.

The program is seen as pivotal to increasing the number of women in a traditionally male-dominated mining and resources industry.

Program partner, the Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DSDSATSIP), sees the lasting value the Sisters in Mining program brings.

Program Manager Rockhampton Central Queensland Region for DSDSATSIP, David Thompson, said beyond creating resource sector jobs, it empowers women to pursue aspirations in work and beyond, as role models and community leaders.

“We are proud to play a part in connecting Queenslanders with lifechanging opportunities,” he said.

Through sustainable employment, Sisters in Mining transforms lives and communities and brings valued team members and real benefits to our business.

About Ray Chan

Editor of industrial titles and mastheads with Prime Creative Media. Publications include Rail Express and Australian Mining (web content).

To keep up to date with Australian Mining, subscribe to our free email newsletters delivered straight to your inbox. Click here.

Joanne Waller, a managing director in construction, encourages young women to pursue careers in construction, noting increasing female participation in roles such as machine drivers and engineers .

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?

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?

Patricia Henderson, who started her career filling potholes in Detroit and rose to Superintendent of Street Maintenance, emphasizes that women are "just as strong," "just as smart," and "just as dominant as the male," encouraging others to pursue construction careers .

Title:

Content: Culture

In California, Women Lose a Major Driver for Spots on Corporate Boards

The law requiring women on corporate boards might be facing its demise, but diversity advocates are already looking at what's next.

At least 670 women took seats on the boards of directors at publicly held California-based companies between 2018 and 2020.

This number, which comes from a report by nonprofit California Partners Project, marked a major shift in the makeup of boards in the state -- a state that's home to many of the largest and most powerful tech companies in the world. Before the law, about 30% of boards were entirely male. That percentage dropped down to 3% in 2020.

This change came about thanks to legislation signed into law in 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, by then Gov. Jerry Brown. The law directed that publicly held California-based companies on the Russell 3000 stock market index had to have at least one woman on their board by the end of 2019, and either two or three by the end of 2021, depending on the size of the board.

Monday, a judge struck down that law in a lawsuit brought by the conservative organization Judicial Watch, which argued that the mandate was unconstitutional because it treats board candidates differently on account of gender. The judge agreed. The ruling comes a month after a separate judge struck down a similar mandate requiring one board member from an underrepresented group.

"Without the pressure of the law there, companies can slip back into intending to have inclusive practices, but without actually designing for it and funding it and prioritizing it," said Alaina Percival, CEO of Women Who Code, a nonprofit geared toward women in tech.

Despite years of scrutiny, the tech industry has struggled to embrace diversity, from entry level jobs to the C-suite. Progress has been slow, with companies publishing annual diversity reports showing incremental increases from one year to the next. Underneath the slowly climbing numbers lie myriad concerns, including that the people designing the technology that'll shape the future don't represent the population who'll use it. Moving the needle in California from 16% women on boards before the law to 32% by the end of 2021, according to Fortune, is nearly lightning speed comparatively.

"The law gave attention to and put a deadline around a conversation that has been going on for a long time, and there was no movement," said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, president and CEO of AnitaB.org, an organization that aims to advance women in computing.

As the law faces its demise, diversity advocates are concerned about how the change could cramp further progress, though they're still holding out hope that at least some of the law's effects will last. And, perhaps, legislation isn't the silver bullet some might think.

Why put women on boards?

Boards play a major role in a company's trajectory. They set strategic priorities and can hold executives accountable -- they're a place of power.

For diversity advocates, the need for, and the benefit of, putting women on boards has been a no-brainer. For years, there's been a growing pile of research suggesting that having diversity in the boardroom is good for a company's bottom line. A 2021 report from Seattle-based nonprofit BoardReady analyzed S&P 500 companies and found that those with greater diversity of age and gender on their boards performed better during the pandemic. The Harvard Business Review has written about how diverse teams yield more innovative decision making. The MIT Sloan Management Review noted that companies with more gender diversity on their boards were more innovative and even tended to get more patents.

"The fact that these companies have such influence makes it even more critical that they have a responsibility," said Lorraine Hariton, CEO of Catalyst, a nonprofit focused on women in the workplace. "They'll create better products if they can serve as a broader constituency that reflects who they're trying to service."

Tech companies have also acknowledged benefits to building diverse teams.

"We remain committed to diversity on our board. We believe diversity and inclusion at all levels of the company is key to innovation," Intel said in a statement.

Along those lines, a spokesperson for HP said in a statement, "Boardroom diversity is a proven source of strength for HP and will remain a top priority moving forward. We are deeply committed to advancing a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of our company to drive innovation and business results."

Gender is only one component.

"When you don't have diversity in terms of points of view, experience and identities in the room, you can sometimes set priorities that aren't necessarily beneficial to everyone. And certainly, you're limited in what you're able to see," said Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO and founder of diversity consultancy ReadySet.

Legislating diversity

Though roughly doubling the percentage of women on boards within a few years is an impressive stat, legislation isn't necessarily a cure-all.

Before the California law went on the books, countries like Germany, France, Belgium and Italy made similar moves. Norway was the first country in the world to enact a gender quota, requiring boards to have 40% women. More than a decade later, The Economist reported that the law had no discernible impact on the numbers of women in senior positions, and the pay gap had only shrunk for the women in board of director roles. Though the hope among advocates is that more women at the top clears a path forward for other women to move up, in Norway that just hasn't happened.

Hutchison pointed out that getting more women on boards doesn't automatically mean that broader, underlying issues in the industry will be addressed, like harassment and discrimination. Or that women of color won't remain disadvantaged and overlooked compared with white women. There's no guarantee that the women put in board seats will advocate for reforms or push for other forms of diversity -- racial, ethnic and more. And it's a lot to put on the shoulders of two or three women, to fix everything that could be wrong in a company. It's also potentially tokenizing.

"It lulls us into thinking that we're solving the problems that drive disparity, when all we're doing is putting people in seats," Hutchinson said. "Sometimes those people will work towards that common good, and sometimes they won't."

That's not to say Hutchinson didn't support the legislation. She did, calling it an important and powerful statement on the governor's part. Legislation just can't be the only answer.

For example, though the mandate stipulated penalties of $100,000 to $300,000 for companies that didn't comply, the mandate was never actually enforced, Betsy Bogart, chief of business programs at the California secretary of state's office, told The Los Angeles Times this week. CBS News reported that less than half of the 650 companies that should've complied with the law actually did.

"If we're going to address the root cause of poor representation, low levels of diversity, lack of inclusion, we have to start with the fact that we're not enforcing the protections that exist to remedy that case," Hutchinson said.

What comes next

Though the law has been struck down, diversity advocates note that it's touched off a larger movement. Washington state passed similar legislation, and states like Hawaii, New Jersey and Massachusetts proposed bills. It remains to be seen what legal challenges may lie ahead.

Diversity advocates see the situation as a disappointment.

"The worry is that ... people who felt compelled because they had a deadline now can rest back on their laurels because they don't have to," Wilkerson said, though she and others pointed out that this isn't a defeat for the movement because legislation isn't the only way to exert pressure on companies to diversify.

In 2020, Goldman Sachs said it wouldn't take companies public unless they had "at least one diverse board member," and then the company increased that requirement to two members, encompassing women and people from underrepresented groups. Nasdaq will require companies on the exchange to have at least two diverse board members or explain why they don't. The rule is supposed to go into effect in August 2023.

"Companies will have to speak to why their boards are not diverse. I think there's not a single boardroom in America that's not talking about diversity right now," said Megan Wang, who also noted the impact of social movements from the past few years, including #MeToo and the protests over the killing of George Floyd. Wang is chief operating officer for the Boardlist, an organization that connects companies with qualified women candidates for board seats.

And not for nothing, those 670-plus women still have their seats. And for those in their first board appointment, they now have crucial experience to get another board seat, breaking a vicious cycle of dismissing women candidates because they don't have enough experience, and women not being able to get that experience because they can't get a board seat.

Wang said now's the time to go to companies and document the tangible results of having a diversified board of directors, as well as talk to first-time board members. She said it's also important to make more inroads with private companies, particularly ones in their early stages, and work on building diverse boardrooms from the start. In First Round Capital's last published State of Startups report, from 2019, 48.7% of founders polled said their boards were all male.

"While it is disheartening to see this judgment being made," Wang said, "I think ultimately progress will prevail."

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?

Georgia Harper, a trainee site engineer, actively breaks down stereotypes by pursuing a hands-on construction career and aims to inspire more women to follow suit, highlighting the need for greater female representation in on-site roles .

Title:

Content: Government committed to technical and vocational training - YEA

The Deputy CEO of the Youth Employment Authority (YEA), Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, has expressed concern on Ghana's artisanal industry slipping into the hands of neighbouring countries.

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Alhaji Bashiru however was happy that government was working to revitalise the artisanal space with substantial resources channeled into that space to broaden the scope of technical and vocational education training (TVET) across the nation.

He made this remark at the graduation ceremony of the fourth batch of forklift and mobile crane operators which took place at the Regional Maritime University in Accra recently.

The graduation was on the theme: "Equipping African Youth with employable skills critical for sub–Regional Security and Development”.

According to him, today TVET institutions stand as strongholds of practical knowledge, poised to rejuvenate the collapsing artisanal sector and drive economic growth identifying collaborations between agencies like the YEA and TVET services as part of concerted efforts to support aspiring artisans.

Alhaji Bashiru proposed a partnership between the Regional Maritime University and YEA to pioneer training sessions for head porters, adding that such an initiative would not only empower the youth but also align with the broader agenda of tackling Africa's burgeoning youth unemployment crisis.

“Ghana’s unemployment rate stands at 14.7 percent, a figure poised to escalate without proactive intervention,” he said, pointing out that traditional academic pursuits no longer guarantee employment; instead, the job market clamors for skilled professional’s adept in fields like technology, oil and gas, and various trades.

He lauded the efforts of the Regional Maritime University for the key role they play in supplying the workforce with competent technocrats and artisans and for their pivotal role in shaping Ghana's job landscape.

The President of the National Association of Heavy-Duty Equipment Operators Ghana (NAHEOG), Mr. Dominic Kofi Eyiah, in his remarks, emphasised the indispensable role of equipping youth with employable skills in a world characterized by constant change and myriad challenges amidst beckoning opportunities.

He underscored the significance of the heavy-duty equipment operation field, labeling it as a cornerstone sector that bolsters numerous industries and propels economic advancement across the continent.

He challenged the new cohort of operators to recognize their pivotal role in shaping the future of Africa, from construction sites to mining operations, and from transportation networks to energy infrastructure.

Beyond their technical acumen and proficiency with machinery, Mr. Eyiah highlighted the graduates' embodiment of resilience, determination, and ingenuity, qualities emblematic of African youth. He hailed them as the vanguards of change, the architects of tomorrow, tasked with spearheading progress and development at every juncture.

He urged the graduating students to embrace responsibility, diligence, and a steadfast commitment to safety, while upholding the highest standards of professionalism in their endeavors.

The Ag. Vice Chancellor of the Regional Maritime University, Dr. Jethro Brooks Jnr, called on member states of the University to support the training with the necessary facilities and resources to ensure the programmes remain at the forefront of industry standard.

He also called on industry to provide slots for industrial attachment to trainees adding that practical experience is invaluable and will greatly enhance the competence and readiness of graduates.

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What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

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

Jessica St Clair Gunn, an apprentice joiner, stresses the importance of women not being deterred by the male-dominated environment and points out the value of detail-oriented skills often possessed by women .

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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.

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What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

Agoi Faith Loice, a contractor and lecturer, has overcome challenges in the male-dominated construction industry by emphasizing hard work and building trust with clients, illustrating how women can thrive despite societal barriers .

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Content: On March 29, 2023, the province published Regulation 61/23 amending Regulation 213/91: Construction Projects under the Occupational Health & Safety Act (Regulation). The amendments will come into force on July 1, 2023.

On March 15, 2023, Ontario first announced it would propose regulatory amendments to ensure that women have safe and equitable access on construction sites. The announcement noted that while there are currently nearly 600,000 construction workers in Ontario, only one in 10 are women. The government aims to increase the participation of women in the construction workforce by making construction sites more accessible to them.

The Regulation will be amended by requiring, among other things, that:

  • toilet facilities be kept in good repair at all times;
  • where the minimum number of toilets required at a project is five or more, at least one toilet facility be for the use of female workers only, where reasonable in the circumstances;
  • if a toilet facility is intended for use by males only or females only, it must have a sign indicating that;
  • if a toilet facility is intended for use by female workers, it must have a disposal receptacle for sanitary napkins;
  • each toilet facility be private and, if a single-toilet facility, completely enclosed; in addition, toilet facilities must have an adequate supply of toilet paper, a means of cleaning hands and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing a minimum of 60% alcohol where it is not reasonably possible to have a wash basin with running water, and a self-closing door that can be locked from the inside; and
  • access to properly-fitting personal protective clothing and equipment (e.g., uniforms, boots and safety harnesses), with regard to all relevant factors including body types.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

attitudinal biases at work
having to work harder to prove oneself

**Global and Intersectional Perspectives** Globally, women are breaking into roles historically dominated by men.

**Global and Intersectional Perspectives** Globally, women are breaking into roles historically dominated by men.

**Global and Intersectional Perspectives** Globally, women are breaking into roles historically dominated by men.

In Ghana, the Youth Employment Authority is revitalizing the artisanal sector by enhancing technical and vocational education training, including for forklift and mobile crane operators, empowering women in these roles .

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Calls for equity in construction is about more than addressing discrimination

Dominic Ozanne, president and CEO of Ozanne Construction Co., doesn’t mince words when relaying the origins of his Black-owned family business. When Ozanne’s father Leroy incorporated the company in 1956, he surmounted police-enforced segregation by harnessing a southern Louisiana upbringing where quitting was never an option.

“Dad was out bidding work and getting performance bonds,” said Ozanne. “He overcame all of that with determination and skill and a southerner’s attitude.”

Today, opportunities for minority contractors are out there, though not at the level that some observers hope for. A Cuyahoga County-led disparity study found gaps between the number of local minority- and women-owned shops and the contracts awarded to them. Among other findings, the 2020 report revealed that only 4.6% of primary construction contracts – or about $51.5 million of $1.1 billion in total spend - were given to minority- or women-run businesses.

In 2021, former county executive Armond Budish issued four executive orders intended to address disparities, including expansion of a small business enterprise program that reserves bids for underserved companies. The orders aligned with contracting-related recommendations from the Citizens’ Advisory Council on Equity, created in 2020 when Cuyahoga County declared racism a public health crisis.

Any gains from this effort did not prevent demonstrators from protesting the lack of Black contractors as key partners in the construction of the new Sherwin-Williams downtown headquarters.

Yet, Cleveland minority entrepreneurs maintain that the environment for their fellow builders is more complex than an all-encompassing word like “discrimination” can convey. Ozanne Construction, a multi-disciplinary firm that does business throughout the Midwest and southern U.S., is among the 31 minority-owned companies engaged in development of Sherwin-Williams’ new R&D Center in Brecksville. The paint and coating manufacturer is collaborating with another 37 minority businesses on its $600 million global HQ. An additional 13 firms are involved as “non-construction project partners” on both the headquarters and R&D projects, Sherwin-Williams spokesperson Julie Young said i
n an email.

Despite demonstrations to the contrary, Dominic Ozanne believes Sherwin-Williams and other Cleveland corporations are making an honest effort to bridge the opportunity gap. Issues arise when corporations treat minority contractors as commodities rather than trying to build a more substantive connection. This largely “transactional” atmosphere is compounded by an unfriendly payment cycle that makes growth difficult for new entrepreneurs, said Ozanne.

“Construction is already challenging, then you want smaller firms to wait 45 days before they get paid,” Ozanne said. “Owners can put a ten-day payment cycle in place so smaller firms don’t have to carry payroll and cost of materials. That’s a huge obstacle.”

The work is out there

Over his long career in the industry, Adrian Maldonado has been in rooms where people grumbled about equity in construction projects. However, most malcontents Maldonado meets are not decision-makers - this latter group has been much more receptive in taking inclusion seriously, he said.

Maldonado’s company, Adrian Maldonado & Associates, has contributed to notable developments including the MetroHealth campus transformation and the forthcoming Fairfax Market in Cleveland’s Innovation District. The firm, which provides staffing and management support, has also enjoyed relationships with local industry leaders such as Turner Construction and Gilbane Building Co.

A mentor-protégé agreement with Turner sees the builder giving the ten-person firm vital developmental assistance. Outcomes of this association include revenue growth from $300,000 in 2020 to a projected $1.15 million this year.

“If you don’t have these kind of relationships, it’s real tough,” said Maldonado, who is Hispanic. “But just because people give you the opportunity, that doesn’t mean you’re set. You still have to perform.”

The landscape for small minority businesses can be bleak without outreach, added Maldonado. To that end, the Berea-based entrepreneur urged fellow owners to constantly make phone calls about project availability. He also suggested completing contract preregistrations for jobs that seem out of reach. Preregistrations can be essential in teaching inexperienced entrepreneurs about taxes, insurance premiums and other next-level facets of the industry, he said.

Maldonado is chairman of the Contractors Assistance Association, a group that directs minority contractors to projects, industry events and other community resources. Intentionality around inclusivity means there is work to be had for smaller companies like his, he said.

“It’s part of the DNA (for big builders),” said Maldonado. “They know if there’s going to be a goal (around equity) when bidding for government work. They know who’s out there and who can perform.”

Considering an equitable future

Getting more minorities involved with construction should be an industry goal in the years ahead, said Dominic Ozanne. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 90% of the construction workforce in the U.S. is white and male. As of 2019, Cleveland’s construction workforce was 79.7% white, 12% Black, 4.6% Hispanic, and 3.6% Native American, Asian and Pacific Islander, per a report on Greater Cleveland’s construction workforce from the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

Youth sports is one possible pathway to improvement, due to that demographic’s physical ability and propensity for hard work, Ozanne said. Since 2020, Ozanne Construction has also brought in minority enterprises for nearly a dozen jobs – among them I PROMISE Housing in Akron and the Cleveland Play House demolition in Midtown.

“We’ve worked with just about everyone out there on multiple projects,” said Ozanne. “We try to lead in a positive manner, and try to help Black, Hispanic and female firms at every opportunity.”

David Wondolowski is among those “hyper-focused” on building a better Cleveland with marginalized businesses on board, he said. Wondolowski is executive secretary of the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council, an umbrella organization for the 29 local unions working in the Greater Cleveland area.

Wondolowski has a straightforward view on the need for diverse construction talent in Northeast Ohio.

“We are at a point and time where we have a shortage of workers,” Wondolowski said. “We don’t have the luxury of excluding anyone.”

While most local companies are well-intentioned in balancing the diversity scales, Wondolowski would prefer more effort around minority access to capital as well as the technical upskilling needed to run a business.

Wondolowski recently helped launch the Minority Contractor Capital Access Program aimed at underrepresented Summit County-based construction startups. Each MCCAP member must be at least 51% owned by women, veterans, people with disabilities, members of the LBGTQ+ community or racial or cultural minorities.

Participants receive technical assistance along with training around bidding and government contracting. Cleveland would be wise to use the Summit County program as a template, considering the wealth of work coming online, said Wondolowski.

“There’s a lot of good things happening and projects being discussed,” Wondolowski said. “We can’t miss the chance to bring more people into the workforce and help develop the contractors of tomorrow.”

From an economic standpoint, Cleveland has no choice but to tap into the skill and ability proliferating locally, noted Adrian Maldonado, the Berea construction entrepreneur.

“I’m a small business contributing well over $400,000 in payroll a year, and focused on creating jobs for people of color,” said Maldonado. “I’d like to have a diverse workforce so I’m more appealing to those big companies, because they’re looking to diversify and meet their own targets and goals.”

Douglas J. Guth is a freelance journalist based in Cleveland Heights. His focus is on business, with bylines in publications including Crain's Cleveland Business and Middle Market Growth.

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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?

educational programs
inclusive policies
vocational training

The Sisters in Mining program in Australia enabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to become trainee haul truck drivers, with approximately 90% of the 75 women who completed the program offered permanent positions .

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

educational programs
inclusive policies
vocational training

What specific groups of women have been entering the construction industry in greater numbers recently?

Advocacy by leaders such as Arya Ali, the First Lady of Guyana, highlights the need for greater inclusion of women in the maritime industry, where women represent only 1.2% of the global seafarer workforce .

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Commentary: Patriarchy strikes again: California can't force companies to put women on boards

The patriarchy was not about to take this one sitting down.

In 2018, then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law making it a requirement that all publicly held California corporations put women on their boards of directors.

The arithmetic was simple: By the end of 2019, all boards were to have at least one female director. By the end of 2021, boards with six or more directors were to have at least three female directors. Boards with five directors were to have two. Hefty fines would be levied on noncompliant companies.

The law has proved to be a stunning success. I could slam you with all kinds of statistics, but suffice to say that in 2018, the year before it took effect, women held only 15.5% of director seats on the boards of publicly held corporations in California. By 2021, they held 32% of board seats. Today, 99% of the companies affected by the law have at least one woman on their board. Some have two or three.

But just as California was blazing a trail for the rest of the country, the old guard objected. Right-wing legal groups decried what one called "the woman quota law" and argued it violates the California Constitution's equal protection clause. "The government should not force people to put a job candidate's sex above his or her individual traits," declared the Pacific Legal Foundation. "Any law that puts equal numbers above equal treatment undermines the very concept of equality."

Haven't we learned, though, over the course of American history that equal numbers result in equal treatment?

Unfortunately, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis, who was appointed in 1987 by Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, agreed with the law's opponents. So did my colleague Nick Goldberg, who, while lauding the law's goal, wrote last week that he found it "too intrusive."

(A related law requiring boards of public corporations to increase the number of directors from "underrepresented" racial and ethnic groups by the end of this year was tossed by a different Los Angeles judge last month.)

In her May 13 ruling, Duffy-Lewis said that the state failed to prove that publicly held corporations headquartered in California "engaged in purposeful and intentional, unlawful discrimination" in filling board seats.

She wrote that the state had not produced a single identifiable victim of gender discrimination and therefore had not proved its case.

But how would a victim even be identified? Boards are chosen in secret. You don't toss your name into the ring. You get tapped on the shoulder.

As one witness in the trial testified, boards have "a propensity to select persons they already know."

Isn't that actually a pretty good definition of systemic discrimination?

If you golf with people who look like you, and lunch with people who look like you, and network with people who look like you, why would you ever feel the need to reach beyond your circle, unless someone — say, the state — gave you a nudge?

"The notion that change is going to happen on its own is just pie in the sky," said former Democratic state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, who co-wrote the law with her colleague Toni Atkins, the Senate's president pro tem. "You cannot change the culture by simply asking politely."

Jackson had tried that once already.

In 2013, Jackson introduced a resolution — a request, basically — that asked California's publicly traded companies to add women to their boards. Over the next five years, women's representation grew from an ultra-paltry 15.5% (below the national average of 16.5%) to a slightly less paltry 16%. "That was it!" Jackson told me. "Obviously it was not working. You cannot say 'pretty please with a cherry on top.' We have got to have legislation to change the culture. It's the reason we have public policy."

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has vowed to appeal the decision, which, she said in a statement emailed to reporters, "ignores critical and substantial evidence of discrimination in the director selection process."

The good news is that the California law, tenuous though it may be at this point, has already exerted a powerful influence.

"It absolutely elevated the conversation about board diversity, throughout the country and internationally as well," said Annalisa Barrett, a senior adviser at the auditing firm KPMG and an expert on corporate governance and board diversity.

Many studies, Barrett said, show a link between diversity in the boardroom — of gender as well as race — and better financial performance. KPMG issued a report on the early impact of the then-new law and concluded that fears about boards making "token" appointments were unfounded.

And though it is true, she added, that other studies find a correlation but not a causality between the two, "I always tell people to think of any team you've been part of, you've seen the benefits of having diverse voices in the room."

Companies and institutions are starting to see it too. A few states, inspired by California, have enacted board-diversity measures, though they tend to focus on disclosure about board composition rather than quotas.

Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved NASDAQ's new diversity rule requiring companies on the exchange to have at least two "diverse" board members (e.g., female, LGBTQ or a person of color), or explain why they don't.

The investment research firm MSCI analyzed U.S. companies between 2011 and 2016 and found that organizations that began the five-year period with at least three women on their board did much better on such metrics as return on equity and earnings per share than companies that began the period with no female directors. Three female directors, they concluded, represented a "tipping point."

Think of it this way, Jackson suggested: "If you have one woman on a board, the guys expect her to get coffee. If you have two, the women fight over who gets the coffee. But if you have three women on a board, they tell you to get your own damn coffee."

Robin Abcarian is an opinion columnist at the Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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

Companies like Vedanta Aluminium have made strides in gender inclusivity by hiring women and LGBTQIA+ individuals in core operational roles .

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Content: Empowering students for the rapidly evolving future of jobs

For New Zealand to achieve holistic and sustainable solutions in housing and construction, we’ll need the input of a diverse workforce with a range of skills across design, business and technology.

Some industry trends will need to change. Across New Zealand’s tech sector currently only 4% of the workforce is Maori, 2.8% is Pacifica, and 29% are female.

In a positive step towards reversing low student numbers in the local tech sector, a new Bachelor of Business Information Management degree has been launched by the New Zealand Skills and Education College (NZSE).

In a supporting initiative, there are five new categories of student scholarships, including three-years of full-tuition, wrap-around support and industry mentorship.

The Tūrama Scholars Programme offering is specifically focused on empowering underrepresented groups in the tech world, and targets women, Māori, and Pasifika students.

The move is welcomed by Lawrence Naicker, Deputy Principal of the large and multicultural Manurewa High School.

“Targeted scholarships can be absolutely invaluable for students who might otherwise not have the opportunity financially to access that kind of learning,” says Naicker.

These are students who might otherwise be working to support their families, he says.

Tech is a growth industry the world over, but during the past two years, the number of students learning digital technology in New Zealand high schools actually declined by 3.1%, with even greater drops for Māori (-5.5%), Pasifika (-4.3%), and female (-2.8%) students.

A low uptake in tech studies was exacerbated by the pandemic, which limited access to equipment and data for students from disadvantaged households. A lack of role models is another ongoing barrier.

"It's crucial for us as Māori to see ourselves represented in tech careers,” says Lee Timutimu, CEO of Te Matarau the Māori Tech Association. “If we can't see ourselves at the tables and working in tech, it feels like there's no real pathway for us."

Timutimu’s own interest in computer design and storytelling propelled him from IT engineer to analyst, to filmmaker and founder of a fully Maori-owned tech company called Arataki Systems.

Practical support and mentoring

Students can often come from families who have not gone on to study anything further than school, says Naicker. Going beyond school can be quite intimidating for some of these students

“They can lack [career] role models within their whānau circles, and without people to offer guidance, they don't know what they don't know,” says Naicker.

This is where mentorship together with financial support is invaluable.

After Covid, Manurewa High made a huge curriculum change to re-engage students and increase vocational learning opportunities. Now four school days are dedicated to traditional maths, English and science, and each Wednesday students work on passion projects.

One opportunity for building digital technology skills is the vocational programme Pathways in Technology, or P-TECH, supported by IBM and The Warehouse Group.

Naicker says one student was struggling with physical disabilities that caused mobility issues, and he was close to quitting school. With mentoring and support through the P-TECH programme, the student continued at school and is now in a fully-funded internship with IBM.

Another programme available to senior students at Manurewa High is run by the Ara Education Charitable Trust (AECT), and includes the Forever House project.

Practical vocational programmes can expose students to careers in technology they otherwise might not be aware of. One recent example was a session on the solar electrical system to be installed in the Forever House.

As well as hands-on learning and mentorship, the AECT programme can lead to supported cadetships, helping students successfully transition into promising career paths.

“You may give a scholarship to one student but over the period of time you actually have opened up the opportunity to an entire whānau,” says Naicker.

Tūrama Scholars Programme scholarship applications are open now for enrolments starting November 2023 and February 2024.

The Ara Education Charitable Trust (AECT) is an innovative collaboration creating work and training opportunities for South Auckland school-leavers. Click here to donate.

Learn expert advice and sustainable building tips. Follow the progress of the Forever House as AECT, Stuff and our sponsors turn a derelict house into a warm, eco-friendly and low cost home.

To donate time, expertise or building materials contact the team at editor@foreverproject.co.nz

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 intersection of race and gender adds layers of complexity to women’s experiences in construction.

The intersection of race and gender adds layers of complexity to women’s experiences in construction.

The intersection of race and gender adds layers of complexity to women’s experiences in construction.

Minority women often face compounded barriers, including limited access to contracts and opportunities.

Minority women often face compounded barriers, including limited access to contracts and opportunities.

Minority women often face compounded barriers, including limited access to contracts and opportunities.

For example, a disparity study in Cleveland revealed that only 4.6% of primary construction contracts were awarded to minority- or women-owned businesses, underscoring the need for improved equity measures .

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Content: NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — According to the U.S. Department of Labor, while North Dakota is not in the top five states for most truckers, it does rank highly with about 32,000 resident truck drivers.

North Dakota also has a significantly high proportion of truckers compared to the population, with one of every nine jobs being a trucking job.
But how safe is this job?
Right now, the federal government is trying to make this essential industry safer for all drivers.

For every 100,000 truck drivers, 28 drivers die every year.
That’s according to the Insurance Journal.
That may not sound like a lot, but that’s about 2 times more dangerous than the mining industry and 28 times more dangerous than the medical industry.
Most trucking deaths come from crashes, but they are also victims of violent crimes too, especially when they drive into our cities.

“The Department of Labor will continue to do our part, particularly when it comes to apprenticeship and training opportunities in this field,” said Wendy Chun-Hoon of the Dept. of Labor.

The Department of Labor is looking to promote safety nationwide with information you can find here.

North Dakota Highway Patrol offers several programs to help new truckers navigate our roads and our interstates to get them started before they sit behind the wheel.
In addition to the programs teaching them how to drive safely, they also provide maps and rest advice for when they hit cold temperatures, high winds and long dark roads. All things that are seen everywhere in our state.
There are also programs for female drivers to make sure they’re safe on our roads and in our industry.

“As a driver over the last 8 years, I’ve loved providing support, education, mentorship and safety prevention for women in the industry. I am extremely proud to say that we are a solution-based organization and a safe haven community with over 30,000 women in the industry,” said Sharae Moore from S.H.E. Trucking.

The S.H.E. Trucking Foundation, Inc. is committed to help all female drivers in North Dakota and beyond feel safe on the roads.

To check out Trucking jobs in North Dakota and nationwide, click here.

Programs like Lake Street Works in Minneapolis aim to expose low-income teens and youth of color to construction careers, providing essential skills and hands-on experience to increase workforce diversity .

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This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

5 key takeaways for DEI in maritime

Photo: Diversity Study Group
Heidi Heseltine founder of Diversity Study Group
Effective diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are built on clear insight, agreed upon outcomes, and targeted approaches — intentionally working to avoid the inevitable pitfalls of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

Drawing on data-led insights from members of the Diversity Study Group (DSG), Founder Heidi Heseltine offers 5 key insights on getting the basics right in maritime.

1. Building inclusion throughout an organisation’s levels

We know that shipping has made vital progress in recruiting and retaining women in certain sectors over the last few years, with significant effort put in into achieving a more gender balanced workforce. For instance, we’ve seen improvements in closing the gap in more junior/trainee levels and in management positions — though these numbers drop off at head of department and director roles, indicating fewer women in executive and senior roles.

While the knee-jerk reaction to this would be to specifically target greater inclusion only at specific tiers of management — which is often effective and can look great on corporate ESG registers — organisations should look to embed and maintain inclusion efforts at all levels, so that gender-parity is reflected throughout the business whether lower level or higher. After all, we know from well-established research that when women make up 30% in any given decision-making forum they stop being treated as ‘exceptional’ and additional women are not seen as particularly remarkable or threatening. This can be particularly key for creating welcoming spaces and proactively preventing backlash to DEI efforts, where possible. If the goal is embedding sustainable and resilient DEI practices, then our focus must be on ensuring that having women in all spaces in reasonable numbers is not the exception, but the rule.

2. Avoiding seeing women in maritime as a monolith

Women are diverse in their requirements of a workplace and its culture, and should not be lumped into a single group defined by our presumptions. When considering what DEI approaches work best at sea or even on shore, we need to account for the fact that our global workforces are culturally diverse and have different levels of awareness when it comes to gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity and gender identity, amongst others. Societal norms, local legislation, and what is understood as ‘diverse’ can vary based on lived experience as well as the demographics of those involved. Understanding what is important to the women in individual workplaces and how we as an industry can support them will help us develop appropriate action plans for the short and long term.

3. Creating support systems to enable gender parity in technical positions

Technical positions, fleet and port management are slower to evidence change and inclusion when compared to progress seen in more traditionally female-led fields like maritime finance, Human Resources (HR), and Communications and Marketing. Organisations keen to address this disparity might benefit from creating training programs that include mentorship initiatives, skill-building workshops, and leadership development opportunities tailored to women in technical fields. This can foster confidence for the employee and their co-worker, help establish relationships for them to draw on in the workplace, and ensure they have the sector-specific knowledge and tools that they need to succeed.

4. Fostering relationships and embedding peer support

Following on from the previous point, peer support often plays a pivotal role in fostering an inclusive workplace but this doesn’t mean that disparities may not persist among different groups of people. Working with DSG, I’ve seen factors such as nationality, culture, ethnicity, and location all help or hinder DEI efforts. This is why it is crucial to closely monitor changes in perceptions, especially during challenging industry conditions, to prevent any employee from feeling undervalued or unsupported since this can impact engagement, efficiency and productivity. It’s important that organisations proactively work to recognise and address any issues in morale, which then helps maintain employee wellbeing and ensures a continued level of performance and investment in the organisation’s goals. Regular feedback mechanisms and evolving and updated policies can help support better company culture.

5. The support of leadership in successful DEI practices

Data from our members at DSG indicates that simply having knowledge of an organisation's commitment to equality, with good intentions evolving to well-researched and considered action and policy, significantly boosts confidence in fair treatment. This is often irrespective of group affiliations benefiting from such policies — everyone benefits from the process.

This confidence in a company’s commitments not only supports recruitment and retention — as establishing a sense of belonging and fairness often attracts dedicated workers and keeps them — but often helps elevate the public and private profiles of the organisation and its leaders.

The future of our workforce is global; to remain competitive within and outside of our industry, embedding fair practices and equality is likely to be a key differentiator for success.

The City of Rochester’s national award for economic development efforts targeting BIPOC women further highlights the importance of inclusive practices in creating career pathways .

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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.

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

**Policy Changes and Industry Initiatives** Recent policy changes and industry initiatives have significantly influenced gender diversity in construction.

**Policy Changes and Industry Initiatives** Recent policy changes and industry initiatives have significantly influenced gender diversity in construction.

**Policy Changes and Industry Initiatives** Recent policy changes and industry initiatives have significantly influenced gender diversity in construction.

In Ontario, regulatory amendments effective July 1, 2023, mandate safe and equitable access for women on construction sites, including requirements for adequate toilet facilities with at least one designated for female workers when five or more toilets are provided .

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Content: Careers

Female transit trucker on navigating gender hurdles

Industries traditionally dominated by men are making meaningful efforts to attract more women to their workforces. But just how do they get the balance right?

It’s a concern Irene Naliaka, now in her tenth year as a professional driver working with Sahara Motors, wrestles with.

They transport imported vehicles from the Mombasa Port to Kampala, Uganda.

Her interest in driving led her to seek a job in the field.

"I was desperate for a job and I had to question myself as to what I could do comfortably. I had tried my hand on a lot of things, but then driving earned it."

Women can assume roles in male-dominated areas. But the reality of being a woman only hit Ms Naliaka when she started working.

"Driving for me is a hobby, so it never seemed strange when I took up the work offer. However, I was the only woman on the team but they made it easy for me to blend in."

Ms Naliaka says she has become better at the work with time.

"I am looking forward to driving even harder machines, such as the top loader operators,'' she says.

Her first trip was not easy. ''It was a decision that I had made and I knew that I wanted to drive, but I was not ready for it to be honest. I remember when one of my sisters asked me if I was normal and that I should look for a different job,'' she says.

Read: The future of women at work

As a mother of four with a nine-month-old baby, it was hard for her.

"On my first assignment, I turned up with my baby, I had my son's bag and my bag. My employer thought it was a joke that I was travelling with a little baby, but then I didn't have anyone to look after him and I needed to get the job done," she says

Ms Naliaka's first trip to Kampala took more than 24 hours, whereas drivers are expected to reach Kampala in 16 hours. Many working mothers struggle with the challenges of getting ahead in their careers and the guilt of not being home all the time.

How will I manage to be part of my children's life? Will my absence be worth it? How will I explain to them that I have to be away? These were the questions that stalked Ms Naliaka.

She talks of restraining her duties as a mother and trying to find balance. Mostly, Ms Naliaka would be on the road for four days and get three days to be home and vice versa if the cycle changed.

Before her travel, she says, "I have to make sure I sleep well because our highways can be very terrible. I wake up as early as 5 am so that I talk to my little boys and see them off for school by 6 am."

"I then prepare and leave the house at 8 am because I need to be at the car pickup point by 10 am to manage the clearance process and be ready to leave at around 3 pm. We leave Mombasa in a convoy, which means we have to journey as a team to Kampala,’’ she adds

According to Ms Naliaka, the power of choosing to be a working mom cannot be underestimated. She has to deal with being a fatigued parent though it gets better with time.

How did she find her voice?

"At the beginning of 2013, my husband was involved in a serious car accident, he lost two spinal discs, the L5 and thorax 7 and that left him immobilised. Two years after the accident, I had to find something to do as his medication took most of my savings. So I had to put food on the table and make sure he got his medication. My husband had his reservations at first, but these were his words, 'I know you are a strong woman, you can do it, but this is too hard'," Ms Naliaka says.

She continues, " It was not easy, we had fights in between because of the long absence, but in the end, it worked after he saw that I could do it. At the moment he is slowly regaining his mobility."

Her husband is a maths teacher.

Does she have moments when she feels like she should take a seat back from the industry?

"Yes. When I started, the migration process was a thorn in the flesh situation. I used to waste hours to be cleared and that interfered with my travel back home. But I came to make terms with the slow clearance," she says.

It also meant pacing herself because work and mothering need to be done.

Irene Naliaka poses for a photo on March 04, 2024 at Nation Centre building in Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

Challenges

"The roads are never the same, the weather keeps changing every time," she says.

"In the Rift Valley, we sometimes get hailstorms just out of nowhere. That's when professionalism comes in, you slow down, use the lights to indicate because you've got to manage your space, use the heater to heat the car and the windscreen to clear the precipitation. There was a time when I couldn't do it because it was too intense, so I'd just pulled over to the roadside and wait for the storm to clear,’’ she adds.

She has also encountered her fair share of ruthless truck drivers.

''Women are naturally wired to be soft, in some cases, you might be driving and enjoying your moment and a truck honks carelessly and it might frighten you to lose track.''

Ms Naliaka also recounts how unfair the male-dominated industry might be for women.

"Men feel we are fighting for their position. From my experience and the type of work I do, men don't want women on the roads. There was a time when a boss told a short lady that she could not drive, but there are short men on the job too," she points out.

Read: What women leaders sacrifice to 'have it all'

As women continue to break through the glass ceiling and navigate their way in the workplace, Ms Naliaka is proud to have had only one accident in 10 years.

"You have to be brave, be yourself, be bold, don't be afraid to speak up because that will always get you through. If it's a 'no, stand firm, if you can't manage it, just speak up. It's always good to ask," she says.

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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?

What are unions, professional organizations and non-profits doing to promote and aid women in construction or maritime industries?

What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

women's health issues disregarded at work

lacking comfortable and safe facilities at work

WorkSafeBC has issued guidelines to ensure personal protective equipment fits all workers properly, addressing a critical safety and comfort issue for women .

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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
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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.

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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.

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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 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?

What are unions, professional organizations and non-profits doing to promote and aid women in construction or maritime industries?

What challenges do women in the construction and maritime  industries face?

women's health issues disregarded at work

PPE (personal protective equipment) does not fit properly

In California, legislation requiring women on corporate boards led to a significant increase in female representation between 2018 and 2020, with at least 670 women securing board positions and a reduction of all-male boards from 30% to 3% .

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Rochester wins a national award for innovative diversity program

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ROCHESTER, Minn. - The City of Rochester won a national award for its work on economic development for BIPOC women in the community - which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

The National League of Cities gives four national awards each year, and this year Rochester won the Cultural Diversity Award for it's progress in establishing careers pathways for BIPOC women.

This award recognizes the city, co-designers, and community partners for their work in the diversity, equity, and inclusion spaces.

Tied in with the $1 million Bloomberg Grant the city won earlier in the year, the co-design approach the city is taking ensures that BIPOC women are apart of the decision making process from start to finish.

The grant money will be dispersed this spring and will go towards getting women trained in their field, finding daycare for children, and adapting work places so women feel comfortable and confident.

"Adapting work places so that their work places are places women like to work, as well as educating women in whichever of the many fields and careers there are in construction and built environment, letting them select and then trying to find cohorts of women so they can not be alone - that singleton - they're going to be working with other women on sites together," said Mayor Norton.

Mayor Kim Norton says getting BIPOC women in the door for jobs and careers is just the start.

"Not only do we want women in the workforce, we also want women to be able to consider starting their own businesses  - so it's also about entrepreneurship," said Mayor Norton. "Starting a business once you understand the construction industry and find your niche - to be able to say, 'I want to start a company and take it that step further.' So I think that will be the exciting part into the future. Once we start the ball rolling, to see businesses open up owned by the BIPOC women that we're going to start down this path."

The city has been working with BIPOC women over the last year to plan what the next steps are. Mayor Norton says in the upcoming months the planning will finally be turned into action.

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In a Minneapolis basement construction lab, a group of students tackled their final after-school project of the semester: a light board with working switches, wiring, relays and light bulbs that turn off and on.

The high school students from south Minneapolis and across the metro area laughed as they worked, the sound of power tools filling the room. They excitedly showed their instructors their successful projects when they were finished, but they did not celebrate for long. Putting their work aside, they went in search of another student they could help over the finish line.

Helping others is a key component of instruction at Lake Street Works, a workforce development program for low-income teens and youth of color in the Twin Cities. The program, which started this year, aims to expose more students of color and girls to the construction field as well as teach them life skills.

Participants hear from industry experts and learn skills from using a drill to budgeting.

The program is privately funded and is part of Urban Ventures, a faith-based nonprofit that works in community development in the Lake Street area. Construction companies and other businesses donate money or tools for classes.

Lake Street Works wants to expose teens to careers that can sustain families, said program director Jess Coykendall, who worked in electrical construction for 30 years.

The Lake Street area lacks well-paying careers, and many participants live at or below the poverty level. A career in construction could lift someone into an industry that they could then expose their children and neighbors to, Coykendall said.

Each 10- to 12-week class introduces students to an array of construction skills: carpentry, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Meeting twice a week for three hours, the class also teaches relationship-building and honesty.

The class has 28 students and will likely double next year.

The construction unit was 18-year-old Leon Pollard's favorite. He excelled at it, building and painting a dog house on his own. Pollard said the work reminded him of the carpentry trade in Guyana, from which he immigrated.

"Where I'm from, I'm used to construction. That's why this came so easily to me," Pollard said. "Electrical was a lot of information to learn at first, but after we got started, it started coming to me."

Staff members work as liaisons to maintain relationships with participants, their families and their community. Students are taught seemingly simple skills that go a long way in adulthood, such as going up to a stranger, shaking their hand and introducing themselves, employee Alex Hands said.

"While the trade stuff downstairs is really important to give them the confidence that they need as students of color to walk onto a job site and say, 'I can do this,' the bigger part of our program is upstairs with life skills," Hands said.

The lack of diversity in the construction industry has been a topic of discussion for more than a decade, Coykendall said. But few gains have been made, he said.

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development numbers show just 12% of construction workers in the Twin Cities metro area are people of color, compared with 27% of the metro population, according to census numbers. While some areas of the industry — such as roofing and drywall — have much higher shares of people of color, others including managers and heavy construction operators have far less.

The Lake Street Works program is free, and participants earn money to attend — $30 per class period.

"When kids get to 14, 15, 16, parents count on that additional earning as family income," Coykendall said. "So, it's our responsibility to make sure that those families recoup that money and give kids an opportunity to not just pay bills but prepare for bigger bills."

The biweekly deposit is just one benefit of the program for students. Another game changer? Learning how much of their earnings to save and other budgeting tips.

When the one-year program comes to an end, the character development traits they build such as humility, integrity, work ethic, accountability, transparency and relationship-building will also be key to a successful career, Coykendall said. That will be true whether they immediately start working in construction or head to college.

Employers "are not asking for certifications and accreditations; they're looking for integrity-filled kids," Coykendall said. "Kids who are willing to work hard and have a good attitude. That's what contractors are looking for."

Vistry Western, a construction company, has achieved gender balance in its board of directors and actively promotes women in construction by joining organizations like 'Women into Construction' and hosting events to raise the profile of women in the industry .

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Content: WorkSafeBC, the province’s workers’ compensation board, is reminding employers about a newly implemented guideline outlining requirements to ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) fits properly for all workers, regardless of their gender.

A press release by WorkSafe said that the new guideline looks to target the issue of ill fitting PPE, which can compromise worker safety, with the issue being particularly pronounced for women in traditionally male-dominated industries. They said women in construction, construction, mining, and firefighting have reported experiencing discomfort and reduced mobility, along with concerning safety issues, due to PPE that is designed primarily for men.

“We recognize that the differences in body shape and size between men and women can make it challenging to find PPE that fits properly,” said Suzana Prpic, senior manager of prevention field services at WorkSafeBC.

“We want to make sure that all workers are protected and comfortable while on the job, and that means ensuring that PPE is designed and fitted to accommodate a wide range of body types.”

The new guideline, a part of WorkSafeBC’s OHS Guidelines Part 8 since last November, outlines the requirements for the design, selection, and use of PPE that is appropriate for those on the job. The guideline includes specific guidance on how to measure and fit PPE to a wide range of body types.

Given the increasing number of women entering traditionally male-dominated industries in B.C., WorkSafeBC said the move to introduce the new guideline will ensure worker safety and address concerns. They noted that the guideline was based on recommendations from experts in the field, as well as feedback from workers and employers across the province.

“We are committed to promoting a safe and healthy work environment for all workers,” added Prpic, who noted that WorkSafeBC will continue to monitor the issue. “This new guideline is an important first step in achieving that goal, and we encourage all employers to review and implement it in their workplaces.”

Along with the new guideline, WorkSafeBC said it plans to launch a research competition this year around the gendered nature of work, with one of the subtopics of interest being inclusive PPE design, and barriers to employer uptake of options for women.

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
women's networks
promote women to higher roles

**Networking and Community Support** Networking opportunities are vital for women in construction.

**Networking and Community Support** Networking opportunities are vital for women in construction.

**Networking and Community Support** Networking opportunities are vital for women in construction.

Organizations such as the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) offer education, support, and networking opportunities specifically for women in construction .

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Content: Penske service manager shows trucking is more than a man’s world

Male co-workers and clients have offered Amelia Walker-Ross a lot of unwelcome feedback and recommendations in the 20-plus years she has spent as a mechanic. Proving them wrong has been one of her best experiences on the job.

Trucking is not simply a man’s industry, she says. “It’s an everybody industry. Anybody can do it. As long as you go through the schooling and you want to learn, anybody can be capable of doing the transportation jobs.”

Walker-Ross has proven how true that is. She recently became the first female branch service manager at Penske Canada, supervising and guiding 10 mechanics, ensuring Penske’s Winnipeg shop runs smoothly.

A passion for vehicles

But this is not what she saw herself doing as a teenage girl.

Growing up, Walker-Ross dreamed of a cosmetology career. However, unexpected financial challenges in the family made her pick up a toolbox and a manual at the age of 16, to look under the hood of her mom’s old van. It ignited a passion for working on vehicles, and she would fix family cars in the driveway until she got her first job in a dealership at 18.

Walker-Ross loved her job too much to let unwanted opinions discourage her. She often had to face pushback, when men were telling her she should not be doing ‘men’s work’, and that she should be at home, cooking and cleaning.

But six years later, when she was pregnant with her daughter, she realized it was time for a change. Without knowing anything about trucking, Walker-Ross applied for a lube technician job. She was accepted with open arms.

“I got hired right away. The group of guys I worked with — they were great. They were fantastic, very supportive. I had no pushback from them, unlike in the automotive industry… They didn’t care that I was female. They were very much like, ‘Well, if you can get the job done, let’s get it done.’”

Walker-Ross realized her favorite part of the job is its challenge. There is always room for learning and improvement in the fast-paced and constantly growing industry.

Joining Penske

Striving to expand her career options, she applied for a job at Penske four years ago.

After working on the floor servicing trucks, she was quickly promoted to lead the night shift, where she worked with fellow technicians and conducted final checks. Her mornings or late evenings were dedicated to spending as much time with her daughter as she could.

A year and a half ago she was offered a maintenance supervisor position, and after that, she became the first female branch service manager.

Now, Walker-Ross gets to keep her passion for working on trucks, solving challenges and helping others learn and grow.

“I love helping the guys learn the truck. And I very much enjoy that, every day, it’s a new problem. Yeah, that’s my favorite part of it — always learning and growing and changing. Like, we don’t know what the next year’s [truck] model is going to come out with.”

But she still sees room for the industry itself to improve.

To her, the key to attracting more women is to change the wording often used to describe the industry and, therefore, its image.

“It’s not a boys’ club anymore. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, whether it’s replacing a starter or removing a clutch. We [women] can still do it. We still have the same tools they have; we still have the same abilities.”

Pushing past unwelcome comments

This why Walker-Ross’ advice to women who consider a job in trucking is, “Just go for it… If the comments do come out – because sometimes they do – brush them off and keep going.”

Still, she also emphasizes the importance of speaking up and communicating with senior managers and supervisors about unappreciated words and actions in the workplace.

She remembers a time in her previous job when one driver wouldn’t let her work on his truck, even though she was the only licensed technician in the shop during that evening shift. But her boss put his foot down.

“He came out and said, ‘The only option you have this evening is Amelia looking at your truck, and she can get it fixed and back on the road. Or we can put a lube tech, who works with her on this truck, who has no training. And he can try to diagnose it. She will end up having to step in and help him. But you only have these two options. You can start with the lube tech and have him go as long as he can. Or you can accept the fact that we have a female mechanic here, and she is 100% qualified to work on your truck and she will get it going for you.’”

It was one of the times Walker-Ross proved them wrong. In less than an hour, the diagnostics were complete, the damaged part was changed, and the truck was back on the road.

Krystyna Shchedrina is a reporter for Today's Trucking. She is a recent honors graduate of the journalism bachelor program at Humber College. Reach Krystyna at: krystyna@newcom.ca

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?

Women Accessing Non-Traditional Trades (WANTT) helps women enter construction through pre-apprenticeship programs and job fairs .

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Content: OPINION

South Florida's builders want you

Stephen Chang
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Fact: More than 30 million Americans quit their jobs this year and a record high of 4.4 million people left their employer in September, according to the latest jobs report. The ‘Great Resignation’ is showing no signs of slowing.

Fact: Florida will receive approximately $19 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, according to the White House.

As South Florida's economy steadily recovers from the pandemic, federal funding for new local projects can provide a much-needed boost to the construction industry, drive growth for the region and create lasting job opportunities for millions of middle- and working-class Floridians.

However, with growing demand for new development outpacing the number of professionals joining the workforce, our region must increase the construction labor pool to reap these benefits and provide the necessary housing and social infrastructure for the growing population.

Yet, convincing a new generation of workers to pursue a career in construction has not been easy. Construction is often overlooked as an option for individuals who earned degrees in business management, liberal arts and organizational behavior, and even in many cases degrees in construction management and engineering. But the reality is more college graduates should give a second look to careers in construction because of the potential for growth and exposure to different skill sets. No longer an industry of just hard hats and cranes, construction has transformed from blue collar to white collar. Construction today is an industry of innovation and technology.

Pixels, virtual models, AI and data are as critical cement, steel and bricks. The construction industry of today presents many career options for tech-savvy individuals who enjoy working on teams, solving sophisticated challenges, and creating something tangible that can literally transform a city skyline.

While still considered by many to be male-dominated, the construction industry is also more attractive to women than ever before. There are opportunities for women who enjoy managing people, serving clients or building things. For example, at Suffolk Construction, more than 30% of our South Florida team is female, and the project team that managed construction of the iconic guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Hotel was a women-led team and the trade partners hired for the project represented more than 23 nations.

The pandemic inspired many professionals to leave their jobs in search of more meaningful careers where they can make an impact and feel valued. Careers in construction can provide these professionals a sense of purpose and an opportunity to be a part of something greater than themselves. To be a part of a team that builds something tangible that will last for generations.

The year 2022 is expected to be an historic year of growth for South Florida. The migration of people to Florida from cities throughout the United States will greatly increase the demand for housing, which will also increases the demand for schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, retail, offices and entertainment centers. The future has never been brighter for the construction industry.Individuals interested in building an exciting and sustainable career should give building construction a closer look.

Stephen Chang is chief operating officer in West Palm Beach for Suffolk Construction Co.

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

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

educational programs
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West Virginia Women Work prepares women for entry-level skilled trades jobs, emphasizing the importance of networking and connections to unions and employers .

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

educational programs
vocational training

Vistry Western participates in the "Women into Construction" organization and hosts events to increase the visibility of women in construction .

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

active recruitment of women
women's networks

The Professional Women in Building (PWB) supports women in the building industry by fostering collaboration and community .

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Breaking Barriers: Rachael Reresi Shines in Male-Dominated Mechanics at Warrior Industry

Rachael Reresi breaks stereotypes in a male-dominated field as a mechanic at Warrior Industry, embodying resilience and inspiring change.

Shivani Chauhan
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In a significant stride towards gender diversity in traditionally male-dominated fields, Rachael Reresi from East New Britain province has recently made headlines by joining Warrior Industry, a leading water tank manufacturing company located at Malahang Industrial area in Lae, as a mechanic. Hired in November 2023, Reresi's journey is not just about breaking stereotypes but also about excellence in a challenging work environment.

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Despite the gender imbalance, Reresi's former classmates from the National Polytechnic Institute of Papua New Guinea became her initial allies, easing her transition into this rugged terrain. Her determination and adaptability have turned heads, including that of Warrior's managing director, Reginald Sutton, who commends her for her hard work and team spirit.

Challenging Gender Norms

Reresi's entry into the mechanics sector of Warrior Industry is a testament to her resilience and determination to succeed in a field where women are a rarity. Her ability to work seamlessly alongside her male counterparts, not just at her designated post by the machines but throughout the company, showcases her versatility and commitment to teamwork. This dynamic approach has not only earned her respect but also positioned her as a potential future leader within the company.

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Empowerment Through Education

The journey of Reresi, a 24-year-old graduate of the National Polytechnic Institute of Papua New Guinea, highlights the critical role of education in empowering individuals to pursue careers in fields they are passionate about, regardless of societal norms. Her academic achievements in mechanical engineering paved the way for her recruitment at Warrior Industry, proving that merit and skill are key to breaking down barriers.

Inspiration for Many

Reresi's story is more than just about personal achievement; it serves as an inspiration to many, especially young women aspiring to enter STEM fields. Her motto, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' from Philippians 4:13, reflects her strong faith and determination, elements that have been crucial in her journey. As she continues to excel in her role, Rachael Reresi is not only challenging gender norms but also setting a precedent for future generations.

As industries worldwide strive towards inclusivity and diversity, stories like Reresi's illuminate the path towards a more equitable workforce. Her success in the male-dominated field of mechanics at Warrior Industry underscores the importance of perseverance, skill, and the willingness to challenge the status quo.

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