Women in Construction - Just Go For It!

In honor of Women in Construction week, March 3-9, our team made a fun and fabulous video to celebrate and appreciate all the women who provide valuable perspectives and talent for Reed Family Companies. It highlights how and why these women joined our work family, what they enjoy, and some accomplishments they are proud of. We encourage you to share the video with family, friends, and social media. Perhaps you have a daughter who might be interested in a job in construction? Reed Family Companies is committed to creating a supportive workplace environment that allows everyone to succeed and thrive.

So, what advice would we give to a young woman considering a career in construction? As for any young person, we would encourage them to be true to who they are. Know their skills, embrace their strengths, and define their unique interests. “Do what you love, Love what you do” is an ideal to strive for. The construction industry welcomes and values such a wide variety of skills that there is a good chance that a job match can be made resulting in a fulfilling career. If they find an opportunity that might be a good fit – Just Go For It!

A personal note from Margaret Reed – Vice President Reed Family Companies

Women are underrepresented in our industry, and we know that this needs to change. To draw more talent to our workforce, we need to dispel stereotypes and misconceptions of what these jobs entail. The cover of my favorite book as a child, the Make-it Book, shows the stereotypes from the 1960’s, with the little boy building a bird house, and the little girl sewing. I made almost everything in that book, and my father encouraged me by teaching how to properly use hand tools for those wood-working projects. While I enjoyed all the projects in this book, the one that stands out in my mind was “the chemical garden” in which crystals were grown on a bed of rocks……maybe that was the seed to my future career as a chemical engineer? My father’s mentoring encouraged me to pursue a career in the male-dominated field of engineering. I appreciate the other role models and advocates in my life who shaped that decision. We encourage you to consider how you can be an advocate for those women who may be drawn to our industry. The video above highlights the variety of careers to be considered. Do you know someone you can mentor?