The construction industry has been a male-dominated world for decades, but that is changing fast. A dire labor shortage has seen many companies turning to women to take up their tools.
“What I find most fulfilling about working in the trades is starting with an idea and turning it into something that people can enjoy for decades to come. Homes are beautiful, functional and personal, which is why I decided to go into homebuilding. Women offer a different perspective to this industry and we are good at multi-tasking!” – Stephanie Lindemann, Purchaser at Eid-Co Buildings told Design and Living Magazine.
Equal Pay
Across America women earn 80 cents for every dollar a man earns. In the construction industry and trades, that gap shrinks to 97 cents. Not only is pay more equitable, but there are many great jobs available and opportunities to grow across the country.
Opportunities
By 2022 there will be 1.3 million jobs available in the construction industry. After the last recession, construction workers left the industry in droves. Pair that with an aging population and you have a major labor shortage that means more opportunities for young men and women.
Scholarships
Studying a trade won’t burden you with a crippling student loan like a collage degree would and many institutions offer scholarships:
Home Builders Care Foundation– hbafm.com/hbc/scholarships
National Housing Endowment is NAHB’s– www.nationalhousingendowment.org
For example, if you studied to become a framer, you could be qualified and working in just 12 weeks with no to minimum student debt or you could go to college for 4 years and accumulate $154,000 student debt.
The construction industry and its many trades offer women opportunities and a career in something they can be proud of.