On July 19th, OE hosted twelve young women, to show them the value of a career in construction. The result was a positive experience for EVERYONE involved.
When we sponsored and exhibited at Construction Girl’s event in September 2019, we saw first hand the positive impact the event the HOYA Foundation was having on career choices for women in construction and transportation.
Our decision to participate in Career Days last month was the next logical step for us, to continue our commitment to opening up opportunities for women in construction.
The reality is that construction is a growth industry with an existing labor shortage, but the percentage of women in it is still hovering under 10%. “Of the women currently employed in the construction industry, 45 percent are in sales and office roles, 31 percent are in professional management roles, 21 percent are in natural resource, construction and maintenance roles, 1.5 percent are in service occupation roles (including cleaning and maintenance jobs) and 1.4 percent are in production, transportation and material moving roles.” (Source)
Construction Girl events are focused on growing that number in the next decades, showing girls and young women that a career in construction is not only lucrative but, with a huge range of options, it’s a challenge that rivals more traditional options for women.
Our event included general information and overviews on the type of work that OE does and the roles that are available with us, and companies like ours. We also had some hands on opportunities so that the girls could really get involved:
- Setting Grade, Working with Lasers & Drones
- Using Technology with Smartdirt Application
- Operating a Loader (hands-on with instructor)
The girls learned a lot about what it takes to be successful in the construction industry, including the importance of a good attitude:
https://www.facebook.com/OEConstruct/videos/454649748447297/
They also discovered, from OE’s Senior Earthwork Estimator, Joe Bergles that: “No job is the same and every day brings something different. It is ever-changing and ever-evolving.” Terri Olsen, VP at OE Construction had this to say: “We are only as successful as our employees, from the office to the field”:
https://www.facebook.com/OEConstruct/videos/2267922920126633/
With events like Career Days, we aim to create more opportunities for girls to learn what options are open to them in the industry. We want to hear about more success stories like this one:
“Schillivia Baptiste, who owns the construction firm Laland Baptiste, says that as a kid who loved STEM classes, she had no idea that she could find a career in construction as an engineer. Her introduction to the industry came in high school when she attended a summer program at Manhattan College and learned about the different type of jobs you could get with an engineering degree.” (Source)
The future for women includes hard hats!
OE Construction Corp. 