Governor Whitmer proclaims Women in Construction Week
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)– More and more women are now paving their way through the male-dominated field of construction.
The Whitmer Administration is not only seeing an increase, it’s encouraging it during ‘Women in Construction Week.’
“It’s important for women to understand that they can have a career in a male-dominated industry. It’s actually more fun. It’s not just a job. A lot of women just have a job. We can support our families and do something really cool. I mean, I drive around, and I point to my kids, hey, I built that. Hey, I built that,” Stephanie Thomas, Project Engineer at The Christman Company said.
According to state officials, last year, Michigan had more than 12 thousand active registered apprentices in the construction industry but, only 600 of them were women- contributing to the largest employment gap between men and women.
Thomas is no stranger to being a woman with a construction career.
“Oh, gosh, we are the schedulers. We are the managers. We can tell you how to do something and how much time it’s going to take down to the second and when you’re going to need to leave or when you’re going to need it here. Men also seem to take direction from a woman a little bit better. Even some women take direction from women a little bit better,” Thomas said.
“So, we have a softer side that we bring into the construction industry that seems to be more welcomed just because we’re a little easier to come across. And as far as the hands on building aspect.”
Thomas said the average number of women in construction is not enough and says if someone is interested in the trade- – to try it out, and she is encouraging more women to join the industry for generations to come.
“And even my daughter, my oldest, she’ll say, look, mom, that’s you’re building. And that’s just the best part,” Thomas said.
“I want the girls to know that they can do anything they want to do. They don’t have to stick to this parameter of being told, you know, you have to do something that a woman normally does. No, it’s pretty cool. Mom gets to wear work boots, just, you know, just to work and build these buildings that she can point out years later that people are thriving in and doing business out of every day and they love it.”
According to state officials, Michigan’s construction industry continues to grow. This means there is an increasing demand for workers in the skilled trades.
For women interested in getting involved, resources are available from Michigan Reconnect and the Going PRO Talent Fund.
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