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The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) would like to remind you that this year, Women in Construction Week (WIC Week) is officially March 7 – 13.  Each year, NAWIC highlights one week to specifically call attention to the fact that women play a viable and important role in the construction industry.

Across the country, local chapters of NAWIC look forward to this week as a time to raise awareness of the opportunities available to women in the construction trades and to reach out to women interested in pursuing a career in construction.

So as we prepare to honor women in the construction trades during WIC Week 2021, let’s take a moment to look at this important segment of the workforce.

A Look at the Numbers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women working in construction numbered 1.5 percent of the entire U.S. workforce in 2018.  

(Source: https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-databook/2019/home.htm, Table 13 )

Across the surveyed occupation sectors, women in the US workforce were deployed as follows:

Occupation SectorPercentage
Sales & Office28%
Professional & Management44%
Natural Resources, Construction & Maintenance1%
Service Occupations21.1%
Production, Transportation & Material Moving5.9%

When looking specifically at the construction industry, women make up approximately 10% of the workforce.  And this number has remained fairly constant in recent years.  

Between 2005 and 2018, the BLS reveals the following numbers of women working in construction:

Numbers of Women in the Construction Industry Sector

2005…………………………………..1,079,000

2006…………………………………..1,131,000

2007…………………………………..1,119,000

2008…………………………………..1,069,000

2009……………………………………..970,200

2010……………………………………..807,000

2011……………………………………..828,000

2012……………………………………..802,000

2013……………………………………..840,000

2013……………………………………..872,000

2015……………………………………..929,000

2016……………………………………..939,000

2017……………………………………..971,000

2018……………………………………..1,106.919

For 2018, the year in which the survey was conducted, the gender split in the construction industry looked like this:

2018 General Construction Statistics

Total Workers in Construction ………………………………. 10,692,000

Men in Construction ……………………………………………….9,721,000

Women in Construction …………………………………………… 971,000

Addressing this apparent logical disconnect is the mission of the NAWIC, and WIC Week is the time to shine a light on that mission!

Good News for Women in Construction

Despite the wide disparity in the numbers of women engaged in the construction trades, the news is not necessarily all bad.  A closer look at the BLS numbers reveals a surprising fact about women’s jobs in construction.

What’s really interesting is that the construction trades appear to offer women workers an almost non-existent pay gap.  According to the BLS, women in the U.S. earn on average 81.1 percent of what men make.  However, the gender pay gap is significantly smaller in construction occupations, with women earning on average 99.1 percent of what men make.

(Source: https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-databook/2019/home.htm, Table 19)

This means that for women willing and able to pursue a career in the construction trades, the compensation they receive matches the pay of men performing the same tasks dollar for dollar.

Taking the First Step – Pamela’s Story

Many women might be inclined to learn more about a career in construction, but they might not be sure about how to get started.  For Pamela Patten, a licensed Master Electrician and the Prefabrication Manager at FSG’s electrical prefabrication partner, Propel Prefab, the journey began with a simple desire to find a job.

Pamela Patten, Propel Prefab Manager

After serving in the military and starting a family, Pamela found that she wanted to take an active role in her future.  The idea of being a homemaker didn’t sit well with her, and she felt she could do more with her future.  

 “I love my children and I have respect for women who stay home.  But for me, I was washing clothes, I was making dinner, I was cleaning, and next week I had to do it all again.  I’m goal-oriented, and for me, I just needed to finish something,” said Pamela.

A visit to a North Dakota Workforce Commission office in the late 1990s revealed what she already knew to be true: Pamela was good with numbers and she liked working with her hands.

That one visit resulted in an application with a local construction company looking to hire an electrical apprentice.  For the next two years, Pamela learned many of the basic skills required to work as an electrician.

In 2009, following several moves and a relocation to Texas, Pamela again found herself looking for a rewarding career. This time, however, the stakes were higher as she was focused on providing for her children during an economic recession.

After unsuccessfully searching for jobs she imagined she “should” be interested in, she decided to get back on the path she had started back in North Dakota and applied for a job with a local construction company.

Beginning in 2010, Pamela embarked on an electrical apprenticeship program that resulted in her receiving a Journeyman Electrician license.  In time, she moved into an instructor position, providing guidance for other apprentices getting started in the trade.

For several years, Pamela worked as a journeyman electrician during the day and taught 3- and 4-hour classes in the evenings, once or twice a week.  By 2018, Pamela had earned her Master Electrician license and was working at the very top of her trade.

When Pamela was hired by FSG to supervise the prefabrication work at Propel Prefab, she knew her career was about to take another step forward. 

I get so much satisfaction in seeing my work in action. Through my work as an electrician, through training others, and now through innovating new methods and procedures with electrical prefabrication,  I know I’ve been a part of building so many different things,” said Patten.

Advice From a Woman in Construction

When talking about the work going on at NAWIC, Pamela wholeheartedly agrees with the mission.  She says that many women aren’t even aware of the opportunities available to them and that NAWIC is a great place to learn more. 

Pamela reports that she’s met other women in the construction trades and they all agree that their careers have allowed them to improve their lives through better pay and exposure to better opportunities than they would find elsewhere.

Although she won’t say that women make better electricians than men, Pamela does offer up a couple of reasons why women might do well with the trade.  Experience with multitasking and attention to detail were survival skills in her daily life before working in construction, and both traits have served her well in her career.

When it comes to advice for other women considering a career in construction, Pamela has this to say: 

“There is definitely a future for women in the trades.  There is no need to amass huge debt for an education that might not necessarily result in a job.  On-the-job training blended with apprenticeship education programs are fantastic for making the dollars go farther than with traditional education.  And once you’ve got your education, you’ve got a career.”

Pamela Patten

Finally, Pamela knows that many women share her story and that often the decision to begin a career follows other life decisions and family priorities. 

“I’m in touch with people who had a life that wasn’t working out well and construction trades gave them a chance to get back on track with a great job that has a future. Believe me. The opportunity is there for you.”

See Pamela and the Propel Prefab team in action working with FSG to build an underground Prefabricated rack that was installed for a hospital in Denton, Texas last month.

About NAWIC

For those interested in learning more about the work going on over at NAWIC, check out their website www.nawic.org.  There, you’ll find a wealth of information and resources related to the promotion of women in the construction trades.

According to the NAWIC website:

“With more than 115 chapters across the country, the National Association of Women in Construction offers its members education, support, and networking to help advance their careers in construction, build their technical skills, and become leaders.

All women working in construction are eligible for membership, including women builders in the trades, project management, marketing, administration, and executive leadership. 

Women in related industries who work for a construction-related business, such as finance, legal, and other complementary industries, are welcome as well.

Our members include some of the most accomplished women in our profession, many of whom credit NAWIC with helping them advance their careers and grow as individuals and as leaders.”

Calling All Women!

Here at FSG, we’re passionate about raising awareness of the opportunities available to women interested in pursuing careers in the electrical trade.  We want the best people on our team, and we love supporting individuals working hard to build their careers.

Since 1982, we’ve been matching the best-skilled electricians with the most exciting opportunities in the industry.  Our compensation and benefits package rewards talented individuals who are looking for more than just a job.  

Call us today at (512) 886-1258 or fill out the form below to find out how you can join our team and take your first step along the path of a successful career.

To learn more about Propel Prefab and what they have to offer, visit PropelPrefab.com.

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