{"id":426905,"date":"2022-04-05T17:11:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T14:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/"},"modified":"2022-04-05T17:11:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-05T14:11:00","slug":"next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/","title":{"rendered":"#Next Avenue: Women continue to make progress breaking into construction and other skilled trades"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a407b2fa31d1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a407b2fa31d1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/#%E2%80%9CNext_Avenue_Women_continue_to_make_progress_breaking_into_construction_and_other_skilled_trades%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Next Avenue: Women continue to make progress breaking into construction and other skilled trades&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/#%E2%80%98Theyre_realizing_its_a_job_they_can_in_fact_do_Training_programs_are_creating_more_opportunities_and_giving_women_momentum\" >\u2018They\u2019re realizing it\u2019s a job they can, in fact, do.\u2019 Training programs are creating more opportunities and giving women momentum.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/#A_shortage_of_workers_in_the_skilled_trades\" >A shortage of workers in the skilled trades<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/#A_%E2%80%98different_vibe_on_all-female_crews\" >A \u2018different vibe\u2019 on all-female crews<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/#More_training_programs_mean_more_opportunities\" >More training programs mean more opportunities<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/next-avenue-women-continue-to-make-progress-breaking-into-construction-and-other-skilled-trades\/#Constance_Brossa\" >Constance Brossa<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CNext_Avenue_Women_continue_to_make_progress_breaking_into_construction_and_other_skilled_trades%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Next Avenue: Women continue to make progress breaking into construction and other skilled trades&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Theyre_realizing_its_a_job_they_can_in_fact_do_Training_programs_are_creating_more_opportunities_and_giving_women_momentum\"><\/span>\n  \u2018They\u2019re realizing it\u2019s a job they can, in fact, do.\u2019 Training programs are creating more opportunities and giving women momentum.<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\" data-nosnippet>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000748232\" role=\"document\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-layout=\"\n                inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetArticleReader\n              \n              inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetArticleReader\n              article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-object-article-reader\">\n<div class=\"audioplayer\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000748232\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Listen to Article\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"articlereader\" data-show-title=\"false\" data-theme=\"wsj-article-reader\" data-show-header=\"false\" data-show-subscribe=\"false\" data-ads-enabled=\"true\" data-save-publication=\"false\">\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       <em>This article is reprinted by permission from\u00a0<\/em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/\" class=\"icon none\"><em>NextAvenue.org<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> contractor Sandy DeWeese knows what it\u2019s like to operate in the male-dominated construction sector of what\u2019s known as the \u201cskilled trades.\u201d Because of her gender-neutral name, some unsuspecting prospective clients would open the door when she arrived on site and say, \u2018Oh, you\u2019re a woman.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n<p>\u201cThere was only one time in my career that somebody didn\u2019t give me the job because I was a woman,\u201d recalled DeWeese, who works in the Durham and Orange county area of North Carolina. The prospective client \u2014 a woman \u2014 \u201cdid not feel a woman would actually do what she wanted, which was a bathroom renovation.\u201d So DeWeese, who\u2019s now in her late 50s and has been a general contractor since 2007, did not get that job.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately for DeWeese, who\u2019s long had a passion for home improvement, her mother and grandmother always supported her construction-related pursuits. In fact, DeWeese\u2019s grandmother built furniture for the Bassett furniture company in Virginia.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_shortage_of_workers_in_the_skilled_trades\"><\/span><strong>A shortage of workers in the skilled trades<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>The definition of \u201cskilled trades\u201d is fluid, but jobs typically fall into five categories: agriculture, construction, manufacturing\/industrial, service (chefs,\u00a0hairdressers, nursing assistants and others) and transportation.<\/p>\n<p>Even before the pandemic and the subsequent labor issues it produced, there\u2019s been a focus on the\u00a0longstanding shortage of workers\u00a0in the construction and manufacturing\/industrial sectors. According to a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/economy\/us-chamber-commercial-construction-index-q4-2021\" class=\"icon none\">2021 report<\/a>\u00a0by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, \u201cA majority (62%) of contractors report high difficulty finding skilled workers, up from 55% who said the same last quarter (and up 20 points year-over-year).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For decades, men\u2019s representation in the construction industry has dwarfed that of women because blue-collar work typically isn\u2019t considered something\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/opub\/mlr\/2007\/06\/art2full.pdf\" class=\"icon none\">women can do<\/a>. Without equitable access to the industry, many women never enter the market, even if they are interested in doing so.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women accounted for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/cps\/cpsaat11.htm\" class=\"icon none\">8.6<\/a>% of construction managers. Of those, 16.3% were Hispanic or Latino, 5% were Black and 1.7% were Asian. Just 3.8% of women were first-line supervisors and 4.5% were laborers.<\/p>\n<p>Also<strong> see:<\/strong> Women\u2019s satisfaction with how they\u2019re treated hits a record low<\/p>\n<p>To address the labor shortage, companies across the U.S. have ramped up workforce development programs (some new, others pre-existing) to increase the number of workers \u2013 including women \u2013 in construction and other fields.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p>And nonprofits, such as\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dykeswithdrills.com\/\" class=\"icon none\">Dykes With Drills<\/a>\u00a0(DWD) in California, are \u201cfocused on teaching, unlike the construction industry, which is focused on doing the job quickly, doing it well, minimizing costs and making a profit,\u201d said founder Julie Peri.<\/p>\n<p>DWD hosts skill-building workshops, retreats, volunteer events and\u00a0meetups. Peri estimates DWD has trained 2,500 women since its inception in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>More women, she noted, are realizing \u201cthere\u2019s good money here (in construction), and they\u2019re realizing it\u2019s a job they can, in fact, do.\u201d She added that \u201cA lot of the women who come to our classes\u2026might just become hobbyists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read<\/strong>: The pernicious labor-market trend where Black women are last to regain jobs<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_%E2%80%98different_vibe_on_all-female_crews\"><\/span><strong>A \u2018different vibe\u2019 on all-female crews<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>One of them is Su Quek, a 50-something resident of San Francisco. Quek, director of product design for Care.com, spends her workdays building \u201cvirtual things like websites.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis time last year, I had not touched anything stronger than drills to hang photos,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n<p>In spring 2021, while in lockdown during the resurging COVID-19 pandemic, she came across an ad for a DWD tiny-house finishing project.<\/p>\n<p>Quek eventually joined the all-female crew of newbies installing doors, windows and siding. It took 14 work sessions, but the house was finally finished last summer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have since worked on maybe five tiny houses and one of them was a metal house, so I learned how to cut metal,\u201d Quek said.<\/p>\n<p>One thing Quek has noticed is the difference in working on all-female crews versus mixed (male and female) crews. There\u2019s a \u201cdifferent vibe,\u201d she said, and the men are less supportive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen the guys are around, you gotta \u2018man up.\u2019 When it\u2019s predominantly women, it\u2019s more supportive,\u201d said Quek.<\/p>\n<p>Peri can relate to Quek\u2019s experience. \u201cWhen I work with groups of women, we always pair up when we carry things. We\u2019re not trying to hurt ourselves. Working with men in the field, they\u2019re trying to make as few <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>s as possible. And I feel like I\u2019m just wasting their time because I need to ask them for help to carry it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also see:<\/strong> Now hiring! U.S. economy likely added another half-million jobs in March<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_training_programs_mean_more_opportunities\"><\/span><strong>More training programs mean more opportunities<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>At\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/shebuiltthiscity.org\/\" class=\"icon none\">She Built This City<\/a>, a nonprofit based in Charlotte, N.C., it\u2019s all about women. After just three years in existence, the organization introduced a free plumbing pre-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>renticeship plumbing program in 2021. Eight women, one of whom was in her 40s, graduated from the 15-week program in October. In February, a free pre-apprenticeship electrician training overview program launched and at least two of the participants are in their 40s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do have some level of certification, but they won\u2019t be a licensed journeywoman or electrician,\u201d said LaToya Faustin, the nonprofit\u2019s executive director. \u201cBut they had (developed) some skills that will enable them to apply for entry-level (trades) jobs.\u201d With opportunities like these, added Faustin, \u201ca whole world opens up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As DeWeese and Peri see it, that \u201cworld\u201d is finally expanding for women nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe industry is embracing women and they\u2019re recognizing the contributions that women make in all different fields. And women are seeing themselves in the field. The biggest thing now is I\u2019m not the only woman in the room,\u201d DeWeese noted.<\/p>\n<p>Said Peri: \u201cIt seems like there is more momentum toward getting more women in the trades and figuring out how to make the trades more accessible to women. But it (greater representation of women in the field) is still a long ways away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/writer\/constance-brossa\/\" class=\"icon none\"><em>Constance Brossa<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0has always been partial to storytelling. Her affinity for narratives developed when she was in grade school and remains to this day. A <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>paper writer and editor for nearly a dozen years, she left the newsroom to launch an independent editing\/writing service that evolved into a marketing agency with a focus on brand storytelling. She continues to write for, and edit, trade publications and digital <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> sites.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is reprinted by permission from\u00a0<\/em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/\" class=\"icon none\"><em>NextAvenue.org<\/em><\/a><em>, \u00a9 2022 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>More from Next Avenue:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/feminist-leader-gloria-feldt-wants-women-to-use-their-power\/\" class=\"icon none\">Feminist Leader Gloria Feldt Wants Women to Use Their Power<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/imani-woody-influencers-in-aging\/\" class=\"icon none\">Imani Woody: Building a Home for LGBTQ Older Adults<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/how-women-of-color-can-redefine-power-in-corporate-america\/\" class=\"icon none\">How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>    <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Constance Brossa\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Constance_Brossa\"><\/span>Constance Brossa<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-7B6A-C87B96FF472B%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Next Avenue: Women continue to make progress breaking into construction and other skilled trades&#8221; \u2018They\u2019re realizing it\u2019s a job they can, in fact, do.\u2019 Training programs are creating more opportunities and giving women momentum. This article is reprinted by permission from\u00a0NextAvenue.org. General contractor Sandy DeWeese knows what it\u2019s like to operate in the male-dominated construction&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":426906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-516180\/horizontal","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-426905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/426906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}