Despite a history of exclusion, more women have been entering the construction industry and reshaping its workforce.
Compiling research insights from 176 of these tradeswomen, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) recently released its report, “In Her Own Words: A Call to Action from the Field." Jennifer Wilkerson, a VP of the NCCER, sat down with us in an interview to crack open the insight she and her team gathered.
“One of the things that I loved about talking to them is how many said, ‘Listen, I got into to this field because of the money. I needed extra money,’ a lot of them single moms. What they told us afterwards was, ‘I stayed because I really enjoy what I'm doing.’”
While money was the main motive for entering construction, the gratification of hands-on task completion mixed with meaningful team camaraderie made the trade worth sticking around for.
“I like the way that people have each other’s back here,” said one tradeswoman in the report. “I think in a lot of different workplaces and stuff, it’s not like that. I just see people being there for each other and especially in your own trade.”
Wilkerson added that along with pride and satisfaction in their work at the end of a day, they also came back because of the clear career paths set before them. The top response for their perceived career opportunities was “unlimited.”
Within the industry of broadband internet, the options in construction are just that — despite being a a relatively new trade.
As one industry veteran, Trent Edwards, who got his start in broadband construction back in 1995, explained to us, “The opportunity within construction is immense. People have a million different ways to go.”
And with nearly three decades under his belt, Edwards believes that the industry is making efforts to open that opportunity to more people.
“I submit to everyone that if you're lost and trying to figure out something that you enjoy, give this a try. The industry is going to take chances on people and train and develop people that historically we may not have, and I welcome that. Some of the best people that I get the opportunity to work with came from out of the blue," he said.
Breaking barriers of entry
For many women, giving these roles a try may be easier said than done. As the report highlighted, "people don’t know how to get into our industries,” said Wilkerson.
Moreover, the report it also noted some of the tradeswomen found the entry process "scary" (20%) and difficult without knowing someone already in the industry (17%). Still the top response was "easy" (34%) when it came to joining their respective construction fields.
The NCCER itself has a free CareerStarter program (and Broadband Nation offers access to numerous training opportunities) to help make the move easier, but additional barriers exist for women even after a job is secured.
“I think childcare is a big one for a lot of people,” said one of the surveyed women, as it was found to be the most mentioned barrier among the focus groups. Though harassment was the largest reported issue among the surveyed women individually.
“I think there’s a fear of harassment,” another tradeswoman explained. “That’s kind of the question and barrier as to why they probably wouldn’t join is harassment and sexual harassment, especially in camps and stuff.”
One woman also noted, “Sometimes [men are] more scared of you than you are of them nowadays because they are scared of getting fired if they say something wrong. ‘I can’t talk to her. I might say the wrong thing.’ ”
All barriers considered, Wilkerson recommends that women considering the field commit to early research on the industry, company and role. "If you go to interview, ask the right questions: Do you have training programs, are women involved in that, how many women are in the leadership now, are you actively working on that?”
She underscored the importance of training and advancement resources for women because many trade and technical-skill education programs don’t reach as many women as they should. “I think what happens a lot of times is that people don't do that upfront research.”
And the industry of broadband is no different. A fiber technician expert and training director Kelly Weissmann who interviewed with us urged all newcomers to “invest in yourself and go learn. Get a head start on it because you don't know what [employers] are gonna provide to you when you get there.”
New workers — especially those who educate themselves upon entry — are indeed going to be a catalyst for driving change in these industries, but Wilkerson also emphasized to the employers' responsibility in driving change.
They know that they greatly need workers and are going to go for the best talent available; that talent will come from many backgrounds. Employers need to embrace and encourage the shifts that come with it.
That includes educating current crews around the expected changes within male-dominated workspaces, explained Wilkerson.
“You're going to see differences on your job site, differences in your crew,” she voiced. “And if you want to remain with our company, it's important for us to embrace these people, work on what it takes to make sure they stay with us and they prosper, that they go forward in a career.”