The U.S. Department of Commerce has published the Million Women in Construction Community Pledge, a new initiative to encourage more employment of women in the construction workforce.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has called on the construction industry – including companies, unions, and training organizations – to sign on to the Pledge’s commitment to increase women’s access to training, jobs, and leadership opportunities. Several leading construction companies have signed on to the Pledge, including Suffolk, Baker Construction, Gilbane Building Company, McKissack & McKissack, Mortenson, Power Design, and Shawmut Design and Construction.
This is the latest effort by the Commerce Department increase the presence of women in construction. Earlier this month, the department launched the CHIPS Women in Construction Framework designed to focus on or scale up equitable hiring and workforce development efforts to expand employment opportunities for women.
“Right now, women make up less than 11% of jobs in construction and only 4% in skilled trades,” said Raimondo in a statement. “Many of these are good-paying, quality jobs you can get without a college degree, and women deserve equal opportunity for these jobs. If we’re going to meet this moment, we need more women in the construction, and we need an industry-wide commitment, which is why I’m calling on everyone – contractors, labor unions, training organizations – to join our Community Pledge to commit to solutions and support proven strategies that help overcome barriers faced by women and underserved communities in construction and the trades.”
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