
Our mission is to generate pride and respect for the construction industry and to recruit people into the industry as a rewarding and valuable career. No matter where you come from or what you look like, you can find a rewarding career in construction.
The construction industry talent shortage continues and will continue for the foreseeable future, thanks to an aging workforce and an outdated prejudiced perception of who makes a great construction worker. It’s clear that in order to get the talent we need to fill these openings, we need to tap into a more diverse talent pool. It’s our job to help people from all walks of life discover a career they might never have considered before.
Not only will a more inclusive industry help us fill vital vacancies, our industry as a whole will benefit. We know that a more diverse workforce will help us gain fresh perspectives with new solutions, which will only lead to better outcomes on the jobsite.
Did you know? Our industry is missing out on half of our workforce potential.
Though women make up more than half of our country, only 10% of the construction workforce are women. And most of these positions are in an office setting, rather than on the jobsite. But just because a job is traditionally seen as more masculine doesn’t mean that females can thrive doing the same work.
Women, now is your time to shine in the construction industry. Not only do opportunities abound, earnings are impressively higher than other industries. Women earn 91 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts, which is higher than the national average of 80 cents to every dollar.
Current construction industry members: let’s show women we want them to join the workforce.
The future of our industry depends on people from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The vast majority of the industry is white. In fact, nearly 90% are. And when only white people are in a particular career, it’s difficult for people of color to see themselves in that role.
As with gender in the construction workplace, skin color has nothing to do with job effectiveness. Just because we typically see white men working on the job site doesn’t mean others are not welcome.
Think of the varying cultural backgrounds and lived experiences that we are missing out on that could benefit our industry.
Current construction industry members: let’s encourage people of all cultures to choose a career in construction.
If you are currently working in the construction industry, strive to shift away from the “old boy’s club” mentality and create a work environment that better serves different interests and backgrounds. Consider the following inclusive strategies:
- Take surveys to get feedback on the workplace culture. With those insights, create and sustain a culture of inclusion and diversity.
- Look for signs of individuals being singled out and help foster workplace relationships so that everyone feels like they belong.
- Establish mentor programs to support professional development of women and minorities.
We are grateful for the great work done day in and day out by our current workforce. Now we are ready to welcome the new construction workforce.
If this post resonated with you, contact us. We are here to help you begin your career in construction, no matter who you are or where you come from.