"Welcome to the first annual Women in Concrete Luncheon and Forum." Just that phrase alone drew thunderous applause from more than 200 women (and a few men) who attended the networking event at World of Concrete in January.
The editors of THE CONCRETE PRODUCER and CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION magazines hosted the sold-out luncheon. The goal was to provide an opportunity for women in the industry to network, share industry experiences, and identify issues important to them.
The attendees were eager to hear from other women in the industry, and the excitement in the crowd was evident. This was an opportunity they didn't want to miss.
Sponsored by Volvo Rents and Bonsai American, the event featured three speakers: Deborah Henry, director of Special Programs, Continuing Education/College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; Joan Blecha, chairwoman of the National Precast Concrete Association, and president of Hanson Pipe and Products Southeast; and Susan Hollingsworth, president of the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association and CEO of Holes Inc.
Dolce & Gabbana ReplicaWatching the numbers
Deborah Henry knows the perception of women in the construction industry and how we are limiting women, starting at an early age. The construction industry is opening up to women, but very slowly.
"In 1978, the department of labor projected that by the year 2000, women would make up 25% of the construction workforce, and the construction industry would then no longer be considered a non-traditional career path for women," said Henry. Unfortunately, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, only 3% of the nation's construction trade workers are women. "At the current rate of growth, however, we will not reach that 25% participation until the year 2043," she said.
But there is also good news. "Women own about 8% of the nation's 2.6 million construction companies, and according to a study by the Center for Women's Business Research, the number of women who own construction companies grew 30% from 1998 to 2004," she added.
Women must take specific steps to succeed in their construction careers. "Continue your education," Henry suggested. "Be it formal or informal, learning is a lifelong pursuit. It should never end. Knowledge is power." She encouraged the attendees to create and develop a support system made up of friends, family, and other professional women and men.
"Join professional organizations and associations that are associated with your career," she added. "And joining is not enough; hold leadership positions, chair committees, run for office. This will expand your network in extraordinary ways and develop your management, organizational, public speaking, and leadership skills."
And being a mentor and always bringing other women along with you--supporting their growth and upward mobility along with your own--is essential to improving opportunities for women in the construction field.
Construction is tough
Joan Blecha said to the few men who attended: "Now you guys know how we feel every day."
Blecha works in the precast concrete industry and knows something about being the lone woman in the office. Women and men alike can share her sentiments.
"There is nothing I care about more than the construction industry and the concrete manufacturing products that we make," Blecha said. "And with the people that are in the industry, it is a passion that I think we all share if we stay in this industry because it certainly is tough. It is not just tough for women it is also a tough industry for men."
Both men and women face challenges. "It is physically challenging," Blecha explained. "It requires a particular type of personality
Breguet Fake to think that you can go out into an industry and not only take on material shortages and labor shortages, but then do battle with the elements in terms of being able to build something outside and have absolutely no control over it. It is not an industry for the faint-hearted."
So how do women fit in? She feels women are by nature more nurturing. "Maybe it's because of the way we were raised or maybe because of the genes," she said. "But women have a tendency to nurture. The down side of being a nurturer is that you also have to be willing to stand there and take the hard blows."
Men and women lace similar on-the-job challenges, but it can be more difficult for women, since women are nurturers. But women can make that transition between being the nurturer and being the disciplinarian and the boss. And they can do it well.
Gender roles are only there because we put them there. Blecha stressed that either parent can get the children ready for school in the morning and either parent can work in construction.
To prepare future generations of women for the construction and business world, she recommends getting young girls involved in team sports. "When that begins, you don't think traditional and non-traditional," she explained. "You think team, and that is what it really is about."
Associations help
Susan Hollingsworth owns a specialty trade concrete cutting and demolition company and is fortunate to have two of her daughters working with her. She spoke about the importance of associations in a person's career.
