If you were a woman thirty years ago and considering a career in trades and construction, most likely you wouldn’t know of a single woman you could go to for advice. Fast forward a couple decades, and the ratio of women to men in the industry is still significant, BUT now there are some badass women in charge, running their own businesses and earning 6 figure salaries while pursuing their passions.
It’s 2021, and woman can do anything - including choosing a career path in a traditionally male-dominated industry like trades and construction. If you’re a woman wanting a very hands-on, rewarding, and innovative career, you may want to consider talking to the members on the CHBA-CO's Women in Construction Committee. Builders in the Okanagan are trying to raise awareness and show women and that there are endless opportunities in the industry.
Joining the trades has a lot of upsides: not only will you get steady work in a growing field that is constantly changing and growing, but you can also literally, help save the planet.
So, if you’re considering becoming a tradeswoman, these are some things you should know:
There's always been a stigma attached to working in construction that it's a man's world. Women considering pursuing a career path in construction often don’t because they think they will be harassed, bullied, or challenged by male co-workers. But companies have changed over the years and no longer tolerate treating women differently.
Krista Paine of Ian Paine Construction and Design has faced gender biased discrimination throughout her career for wanting to follow in her father’s footsteps as a carpenter. However, she advises women who are interested in getting into the trades to not let it affect what they want to do when they grow up.
“Life is long, so you need to find something you like to do - and you do it,” says Krista. “Don't worry about there being gender inequality. Who cares? Just do it.”
Discrimination is something that can happen in any company, any industry, and to anyone. Krista recommends the best thing to do is to continue working hard and proving yourself to be better.
One of the best things people can do to become more confident is to strengthen their knowledge and get more educated in their area of work. For example, Krista Paine got her Carpentry Red Seal certification to feel more comfortable in her role as the President of her own company. With more education under her belt, Krista felt that she could answer her staff's questions better and show more credibility to clients.
Similar to how women’s rights have progressed, so has the construction industry. To protect women and foster a welcoming work environment, there are hundreds of incentives from associations, resources for employers and free services for women in the field.
In the past, positions for women in construction were typically ‘desk jobs’ such as receptionists, assistants and bookkeepers. However, the reality is that there are endless possibilities for women in construction. With a desperate need for tradespeople in the industry, you might start in carpentry or as a skilled labourer, but with time and experience, you can become a project manager or CEO of your own business.
Kim Larson, a dedicated advocate for women in construction and owner of All Elements Design. Manage. Build started as in architecture, then moved into construction project management. After working in architecture, she now owns her own construction company offering architectural services.
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“There are many ways to go. You can start as a plumber or electrician and then there's always options to be growing and moving up into managerial roles,” notes Kim.
The residential construction industry is in dire need of people from all walks of life. With some time and effort, you can look forward to a long career that provides new challenges and opportunities in a variety of roles. If you’re looking for a career where no two days are the same, then this is the field for you.
The Central Okanagan’s economic boom and rapid expansion has caused builders to constantly be looking for tradespeople, specifically women. In fact, BC needs 32,000 carpenters and 2000 millrights over the next 4 years to keep up with forecasted housing demands! This means that there are hundreds of job opportunities available for women to get started in any trade they are curious about.
Builders in the Okanagan are eager to have women join their crew as they bring unique skills and abilities. For example, women are generally more detail oriented, which can come in handy for finishing carpentry. However, there are simply not enough female applicants compared to men, as women make up 6.2% of the industry.
“I want to hire women and (I’ve) always promoted hiring women. I've only hired one woman in carpentry. She’s the only female that’s ever applied - so I hired her immediately,” says Krista Paine. “It's frustrating because I would hire so many more, I’ve just had none apply.”
Similarly, Kim Larson estimates that in the last 10 years, her admin staff has been made up mostly of women. However, when looking at the number of women in project management side the percentage drops to 10% and even more on the trade side to 5%.
With new regulations changing the way we build homes, women bring a skill set that is needed in residential construction – attention to detail, organization, multi-tasking, and strong communication skills are just as important as the tools you operate.
Construction embodies hundreds of different positions from design to carpentry, to trades like sheet metal and electrician, to engineering, to management – women are sure to pursue a role they are passionate about! With more and more women entering the construction workforce, there are more female role models they can look up to and seek for advice.
If you’re a woman considering a career in the trades or construction, please contact the Canadian Home Builders – Central Okanagan for more information.
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