By Rebecca Lundberg, PulteGroup & Mike Brewer, Brewer Companies

Walk onto any construction job site, either residential or commercial, and statistically you’ll find one female worker for every 99 males. In fact, only 3.4 percent of construction tradespeople are women. 

Another statistic to digest: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics, less than 11 percent of those employed in the construction industry in 2020 were women. Those numbers include non-tradesperson positions, such as sales and marketing, human resources, design center team members, and other “administrative” roles.

And as low as those numbers are, it’s hard to imagine those are actually an IMPROVEMENT over the past years.

It’s not a surprise to anyone when we say the construction industry is male dominated. So, the question is how do we, as leaders in the Arizona construction industry, find opportunities for more women to enter our growing field? After all, the construction industry is expected to see a five percent job growth nationally over the next five years, while here in Arizona, the Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale area has the ninth highest employment level in the nation for construction laborers. 

In our opinion, it’s simple: it’s time to examine the obstacles, both perceived and real, women face when contemplating a career in construction, particularly trade roles; identify opportunities that encourage women to consider construction-related jobs; and rebrand the industry from the perception that construction workers are single men to the reality that workers are single men and women, and family-oriented hockey dads and moms.

Why the lack of women?

With more than 10 million employees, the U.S. construction industry is vibrant and, as noted above, continues to grow. The reasons for this are plentiful, but the ones which come to our minds first include career stability, rising salaries due to higher demand, and overall higher job satisfaction as we don’t have to be in an office or cubicle all day (or even ever!). 

Both of us love what we do. We see endless possibilities for careers in construction or as a tradesperson.

So, why is the male to female ratio in our industry so off kilter? 

An obvious answer is the lack of women in trade schools and apprenticeship programs across the state. Fortunately, Arizona’s trade and technical schools are working hard on overcoming the lack of females in what are traditionally considered male dominated industries by actively recruiting and providing increased support for non-traditional students.

Arizona defines non-traditional as occupational training or fields of work for which individuals from one gender comprise less than 25% of the individuals employed in the workforce. For example, females enrolled in welding, construction technologies, building electrical, plumbing and similar programs would be considered non-traditional students.

By actively marketing these programs to this emerging group of students, whole new worlds of opportunities are opening up for the next generation of tradespeople, and we couldn’t be more excited.

In another initiative, both PulteGroup and Brewer Companies partnered with the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Arizona’s largest Chamber, to develop an industry-funded/led, multi-year marketing campaign (Build Your Future Arizona: www.BYFAZ.org) to educate and attract young people – both male and female – to the construction trades. 

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t also mention the Brewer Craftsman Academy, which has prepared more than 160 men and women for a successful – and profitable – plumbing career. But again, the mix of these young people has been completely lopsided toward young men seeking careers in the trades.  Only 2% of applicants have been women.

But while it’s easy to point to the lack of females in formal education and apprenticeship programs as the reason for the lack of women in construction, that would also be short-sighted. 

Simply stated, sexual harassment in the construction industry is an issue that needs to be addressed. An ABC News piece from August 2020 reported the construction industry has the second highest rate of sexual harassment in the workforce, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fortunately, many companies, like ours, are actively working to create inclusive work cultures where both men and women are equally valued. This includes the creation of diversity councils with representation from different races, genders, and ethnicities, adoption of family-friendly work policies and benefits programs, and enhanced training materials to educate team members on the importance of diversity and inclusion. 

These efforts are certainly paying dividends. PulteGroup, one of America’s largest homebuilding companies with operations in 40 markets throughout the country, is ranked on Fortune’s “Best Large Workplaces for Women” list. And it is no coincidence that 94% of the employees at PulteGroup say it is a great place to work (national average of US-based companies is 59%). 

It is important to note diversity in the workplace, to include more women, is simply good for business and life. McKinsey & Company, an American world-wide management consulting firm, reported that the most gender-diverse companies are 25 percent more likely to achieve above-average profitability than companies with less diversity. 

Here in Arizona, the American Subcontractors Association has its own program called – “She Builds It.”  The goal of this peer group is to create a forum for dialogue among women who own, manage, and work for trade contracting firms, build relationships with other female contractors, collaborate on strategies to overcome workplace challenges, and serve as a resource for connecting and mentoring women within ASA’s construction community. 

Finally, there are a multitude of industry and trade organizations working hard to introduce women to the construction industry while also providing networking and mentorship opportunities. These include the National Association of Women in Construction, Professional Women in Construction, and the Women Construction Owners & Executives USA. Each organization offers a variety of conferences, workshops, online forums and other tools to help excite women to enter the field and help them enjoy a successful, lifelong career.

Single Men to Hockey Moms and Dads

While obstacles exist for women to enter our rewarding fields, we believe a lot of work has been done to chip away at improving diversity in our ranks. Much of this has to do with the rising number of women in leadership positions across the industry.  In 2019, women comprised 7.5 percent of all construction managers, and 44 percent of the top contracting companies had women in executive roles. 

As more women enter the construction industry and climb the ladder of a male dominated industry, they serve as role models and mentors to the next generation. Both of us are where we are today because of the wonderful men and women who mentored us over our careers. As leaders recognize the value diverse people add, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, etc. the ranks in leadership will change to benefit the whole organization. 

Also, with the continued rise of female leaders, perceptions and attitudes in the workforce are changing. Gone are the days where construction workers and tradespeople are seen as big, burly men who talk sports all day and into the night at the local watering hole. 

Now, we see a generation of workers that likes talking sports, but who may also have families and, like us, juggle work with obligations such as kids’ doctor appointments, dance classes, and, of course, hockey practice!

We believe the construction industry is making significant improvements in diversity and inclusion. However, like every other industry, that work is ongoing and it is up to us to continue that journey. 

About the Authors:

Rebecca Lundberg is Division President of the PulteGroup’s Arizona operations. Bringing over thirteen years of experience with the company, Lundberg oversees all
aspects of the division’s day-to-day home building operations in the Greater Phoenix and Tucson areas. For more information, visit https://www.pulte.com/

Mike Brewer is the founder and CEO of the Brewer Companies. He currently serves as President of the American Subcontractors Association of Arizona, chairs the steering committee for Build Your Future Arizona. For more information, please visit https://brewercompanies.com/