Women Leaders in the Construction Industry Discuss their Experiences

April 7, 2016

Bridging the gap: 7 women construction leaders share how to thrive in the male-dominated field

Source: Construction Dive, Kim Slowey, March 8, 2016

Women in Construction Week — part of the broader Women’s History Month celebration in March — kicked off this week. WIC Week aims to “highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry,” according to the National Association of Women in Construction.

Even though the male-dominated world of construction has become more “female friendly” over the last few decades, the numbers still show that women are underrepresented in the industry as a whole. Women represent 47% of the total U.S. workforce and only 9% of the construction industry, according to OSHA. Given this fact, it’s even more inspiring to come across women who are not only thriving in construction, but who have risen to the decision-maker level in their companies. We spoke with several women leaders in the industry to explore their experiences in construction and to find out their advice for others looking to take a similar path.

Finding a passion

“Somehow in my childhood years, I decided I wanted to go into construction,” said Sarah Carr, vice president of operations, education services at McCarthy Building Co. in Newport Beach, CA. No one in her family was in the industry, but, during a high school drafting class, a teacher showed her a catalog from the construction management program at Sacramento State, and she was sold.  READ MORE….

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