I’m a chemical engineer who’s only worked in semi-conductor and energy industries, so I don’t have any personal experience in the construction industry. I always assumed only civil engineers went into construction, but in reality engineers from many different disciplines work in construction. Engineers who work in construction build our homes, the buildings where we work and more. It can be an excellent career path for women in engineering, however, like many engineering industries, it is severely underrepresented by women. BigRentz contacted me to share their interesting and informative infographic about female engineers in construction, and I am pleased to share this with my readers. I hope it helps you learn more about the construction industry and how women are playing a role in this industry.
Below is an intro by BigRentz with background information about their study followed by their infographic.
The construction industry is rapidly growing, but it still has a long way to go in terms of representation. Although women make up half of the total workforce in the country, they comprise less than 9% of all construction employees.
Like engineering, construction is an under-represented industry for women, where women face common issues from gender bias to inadequate maternity benefits. Despite the challenges, an increasing number of women are entering construction — particularly, female engineers.
BigRentz examined C-level executives and construction managers at Engineering News-Record’s Top 100 Contractors. They found that only 3% of construction managers at these top companies are women. However, 50% of them have a background in engineering, with degrees including civil engineering to chemical engineering.
In addition, 77% of these engineers have been in their position for only 4 years or less. This suggests that not only are companies starting to promote women to leadership roles but also that more and more female engineers are pursuing a career in construction. Benefits for women in the industry include greater earning potential and opportunities to give unique perspectives.
Although there is a lot of work to make construction an inclusive space, these women inspiring a new generation of engineers. To learn more about these construction leaders, check out the infographic below.
What did you think of this infographic? If you work in construction or are interested in a career in construction, did you find this infographic relevant?
