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News Aug. 10, 2022

How can the construction industry recruit and retain women?

The U.S. construction industry continues to struggle with a labor shortage—the number of open construction jobs jumped to a record high of 449,000 unfilled positions in April, according to forconstructionpros.com

Attracting women to the industry is key to combatting the worker shortage. Only 10.3% of U.S. construction workers are women, which is a relatively small percentage compared with other industries.

According to Fox Business, trade school enrollment is surging by nearly 17% for construction schools in part because of lower education costs and high chance of employment after graduation. Still, most of these students are men and will not meet the industry’s demand.

Following are four ways to help attract women into construction roles and retain them.

  1. Start early. Although there are increasingly more programs aimed at supporting women in construction roles, it is important to help girls envision a life in building when they are young. Find ways to highlight the roles and skills needed in the construction industry and help get kids excited about career opportunities. Creative approaches—such as Mollie Elkman’s children’s book, “The House That She Built”—can help young girls and women explore “unconventional” roles.
  2. Recruit women into trade schools. Construction schools must help women envision a life for themselves in construction and market the type of work that will make up the future of skilled jobs; along with traditional labor, modern construction work increasingly will be done digitally, with drones, and with laser scanners and robotics. Highlighting the financial benefits also is key—Online Schools Center reports construction managers earn an average of $95,260 per year.
  3. Leverage technology to keep women in trade schools. Although many parts of the education system already have leveraged technology, many vocational schools are lagging with outdated student information systems. Modern technology solutions can help schools meet compliance requirements, improve attendance statistics and promote behaviors that lead to improved graduation rates.
  4. Help place women in construction roles. Potential employers must be thoughtful, proactive and involved long-term. An article from Occupational Health & Safety suggests wisely choosing words in a job description; reaching out to women who have potential; including women in the hiring process; and providing ongoing networking and support to women once they are hired.

NRCA’s website, careersinroofing.com, offers resources that highlight the career opportunities available in the roofing industry and could be a helpful tool when recruiting women to the industry.

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