September 2, 1999

Schools failing to attract women into construction

By DARLENE SEPTELKA
Special to the Journal

The recent construction boom, along with the aging work force, has contributed to a labor shortage that has helped open some doors for women to enter construction.

Many of these women are employed in management positions and are running construction projects; but still not enough women are involved in the industry to meet the current demands for qualified women construction managers.

As a source for hiring trained managers, many construction companies are turning to college construction management programs to help fill their employment needs. These recruiters are actively looking for women graduates, along with men, to meet their current employment shortages and potential company growth.

There are over 94 universities in the United States that offer construction management or construction engineering as an undergraduate college degree program. Many of these programs have been in existence for over 30 years. With such a high demand for construction management graduates, most seniors have secured a job before they graduate, many of them receiving several offers.

However, women comprise only nine percent of students enrolled in construction management as a degreed program, according to a study prepared in March 1999 by Washington State University that was presented at the 35th Annual Associated Schools of Construction Conference in April.

This study also showed that the enrollment of female students has only grown 4 percent over the last 10 years. Construction management programs have not experienced a growth in women enrollment over the last 30 years like many other non-traditional professional degree programs.

For instance, the Women's Educational Equity Act Equity Resource Center's 1999 Fact Sheet on Women's and Girl's Educational Equity shows that over the past 25 years, women graduating in dentistry increased 26 percent, in medicine 31 percent, and in law 34 percent. These programs are no longer considered a non-traditional career for women.

For other construction-related programs, the percentage rate of women graduating in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineer was 19 percent, and 30 percent for women graduating with a bachelor's degree in architecture, according to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement's Digest of Education Statistics 1996.

The DOE's report did not even identify construction management as a higher degree. Although it did have a "construction trades category" reporting a percentage rate of 5 percent for women graduating in 1996 with a bachelor's degree.

In 1978, Department of Labor blueprinted that by the year 2000 women would make up 25 percent of the construction workforce, and the construction industry would no longer be considered a nontraditional career for women. At a 25 percent enrollment rate, construction management would no longer be considered a nontraditional program for women.

However, at the current rate of growth, this would not happen until the year 2043.

The industry is under utilizing a potential segment of the workforce. Faced with the current workforce crisis industry can not afford to overlook this potential segment. Things need to change at a faster rate then they have been. Academia and industry need to look at what can be done to increase women enrollment in construction management programs.

Paula Johnson, a project manager for Turner Construction Co.'s Special Project Division in Seattle and a 1998 graduate from Washington State University's Construction Management Program, says there are many opportunities for women after they graduate.

Johnson believes that most women when considering a career choice are not aware of the opportunities available to them in pursuing a degree in construction management.

The other issue is image.

"The image of construction as a good old boy's club still exists," Johnson said. In fact, the WEEA's 1999 Fact Sheet states that, "gender stereotypes about careers still limit girls' interest and participation in career options."

Johnson said that women who are working in the industry need to get the word out, because "no one else is going to do it."

Getting involved in the community and talking to high school and elementary school girls is one way to draw more young women to the field, as good women role models are needed for girls to identify that a career in construction is a possibility.

Johnson also suggested that women who are working in construction need to get involved in industry and professional organizations. Getting involved means to volunteer for committees and run for offices.

On the other hand, industry also needs to make a commitment to the women that are currently in the industry. Promoting more women to upper management and corporate positions and electing them to responsible positions in industry organizations will help change perceptions that construction is for "good old boys."

Universities also need to work on promoting their construction management programs and make high school and college student aware of construction careers possibilities when making career and program choices.

Most students, both male and female, do not know that construction management is a college program and consider construction as a non-professional or a trade career choice.

Nor are students aware of professional construction or project management opportunities. The current job offer for a graduating construction management senior can range from $35,000 to $45,000 depending on the company's location within Washington state. Most students have multiple offers with women students being in high demand. The employment prospects are better or equal to most undergraduate programs.

Also, universities need to work on recruiting more women construction management professors as teachers to help provide women role models for both male and female students.

The WSU study reported that the current percentage rate of women teaching in construction management programs is only at 6 percent. More female instructor will help dispel the notion that construction is for males only.

Other stories in Women in Construction Her career is in the bag Consrtruction management: what women really want Profile: Ann Schuessler Doan's work continues in high-tech lab Barkman: managing projects suits her perfectly

Finally, funding needs to made available in the forms of grants and research dollars for the development of programs that will help educate elementary and high schools student about the industry as well as promoting an interest in construction from females and other minorities.

Some organizations have provided some funding for elementary education programs, but little research has been done on their impact in changing the perception of the industry in the minds of women and actual increasing female enrollment in college construction programs.

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Darlene Septelka is an assistant professor and construction management coordinator for Washington State University at Spokane School of Architecture and Construction Management Interdisciplinary Design Institute.