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Women in Construction Week: Envision Equity
Women In Construction are being celebrated across the nation. It recognizes the influence that women have in construction and the heavy impact their contributions make. It reflects where we are as an industry, where we want to be in the future, and the powerful, idealistic individuals that will help us get there.
This year NAWIC’s National President Doreen Bartoldus chose the Envision Equity theme to not only focus on bringing equity to women, but to everyone in the industry. The construction industry has long been a space that was made up almost exclusively of men. But times are changing—more women are entering the construction workforce and making an immediate impact. Jenny Han, Boldt’s director of design integration responds, “Underestimate us, that will be fun! As women of color in construction we continue to blaze trails to become the role models our younger selves did not have.”
The past has taught us that women aren’t easily daunted by obstacles. With more women choosing a career in construction, the industry is slowly taking steps to become more diverse and inclusive.
What we can celebrate:
- In 2006, 3% of construction trade workers were women. Today the number of women continues to rise; we are nearing 11%.
- San Francisco, Seattle and Minneapolis are the top three U.S. cities for women working in the construction industry. The percentage of women range from 17% – 19.1% (national average is 10.9%); median earnings range from $54,241 to $70,966.
- There has been a 68% increase in women-owned construction firms between 2014 and 2019.
- Today the gender pay gap in the construction industry is among the lowest in the United States—the average female worker makes 81.1% of what their male colleagues earn—much higher than most industries.
To celebrate women in construction, we highlighted seven women—from jobsite superintendent to corporate leadership, to welder. These dedicated and passionate women exemplify what makes and keeps the construction industry strong. For them, it’s not just one week—they envision equity and work towards it every day.
Learn who they are and why they love what they do:
“I have been a part of teams where I can contribute my perspective, make an impact, and continuously improve my skill-set within the industry.”
Briana Mitchell, Project Manager
“A woman with a voice that breaks stereotypes is by my definition a strong woman! It’s refreshing to work for a company that supports and understands that the days of women not having a voice are over.”
Nicole Goril, Superintendent
“Underestimate us, that will be fun. As women of color in construction, we continue to blaze trails to become the role models our younger selves did not have.”
Jenny Han, Director of Design Integration
“I was searching for career options that didn’t include college…and welding sparked my interest. I love being a youth apprentice in this industry.”
Olivia Hanson, Welding Youth Apprentice
“Serving in a leadership role at Boldt has given me some of the best development experiences of my entire career.”
Emily Haupt, Vice President Talent Strategies
“Being a female choosing a construction career path was intimidating at first. However, I have so much passion for the industry and everyone is willing to help me out – it makes it easy to fit in.”
Natalie Thorp, Human Resources
“There is no standard work day for me. I work with high performers and high achieving women that inspire me to have my own voice. That’s why I love what I do.”
Alana Fernandez, Marketing Manager
References/Statistics: constructioncoverage.com/research
About The Boldt Company
The Boldt Company (Boldt) is a leading professional construction services firm with customers across the United States and is a subsidiary of The Boldt Group. Founded in 1889, Boldt is a fourth-generation family and employee-owned firm headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin. Boldt is recognized as a pioneer in Lean construction and in the industrialized construction space. Boldt operates 18 offices across the U.S. that serve customers in healthcare, power, industrial, education, automotive and commercial markets.
