This week, March 6-12, EMJ Construction commemorates Women in Construction Week. During this time, we pause to celebrate all the great work from our colleagues and highlight the career opportunities in the industry. National Today provides a good overview of the week.
It was first called Women in Construction of Fort Worth, founded in 1953 by 16 women working in the construction industry. It was created in order to support the few women working in construction at the time.
It later became the National Association of Women in Construction. The association has since gone on to ease the passage of women into construction, helping to create awareness and better working space for those who desire to work in the industry. Today, there are about 115 chapters across the country.
The National Association of Women in Construction “offers its members education, support and networking to help advance their careers in construction, build their technical skills, and become leaders.” Every woman in construction is welcome to join the association.
In 1960, Women in Construction Week was introduced in honor of the association. Through the celebration of women in construction, and the numerous efforts of the association, many more women have taken the bold step to venture into the industry, which is predominantly filled with men.
The stigma around women working in construction has reduced drastically. In addition, the pay gap between men and women is relatively small compared to other industries. These, along with several other feats, are the many achievements of the National Association of Women in Construction.
In the construction industry, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 11% of workers, on average, are women. EMJ is proud to double the industry standard with women making up 22% of its workforce. This week, and every day, we pause to celebrate the work of women in our workforce. Thank you for being selfless, trustworthy, and gritty, and for delivering exceptional experiences to our clients, partners, and colleagues.