Business Analysis

These Women in Construction Are Cracking the Cement Ceiling

Women make up an increasingly mighty minority in the trades. Eleven professionals discuss their experience working in the traditionally male-dominated field
Women in construction
Gabrielle Pilotti Langdon/Getty Images

In the United States, the trades are booming. However, according to recent data from the National Association of Women in Construction, women make up just 9.9% of the construction industry in the country, with nearly a third of that stat attributed to female sales and office personnel.

To those women seeking to break into the trades, one roadblock can be the intimidation of learning on a job where they are likely the only female. In 2014, in Detroit, Samantha Farrugia set out to narrow the gender gap by founding Women Who Weld, a nonprofit that offers subsidized, and in some cases free, courses to participants who want to learn that skill—then helps place them with employers after they complete the training. The American Welding Society projects that by 2025, there will be a need for some 400,000 jobs in welding, and yet females only represent 5.3% of the current workforce.

“Many of the participants are under- or unemployed, often in bad financial straits and trying to find the skill to help transform their lives and their families’ lives,” Farrugia says of the participants in her workshops. “What’s really great about the female-majority environment is that it creates a support network.” Though the nonprofit is young, Farrugia is already starting to see some early participants climb the ranks enough to create economic opportunities for others who are just starting out.

Another trailblazer in this space, Ebba Schmid travels the Chicago area attending job fairs to raise awareness for Chicago Women in Trades, a four-decade-old organization that aims to shatter the “cement ceiling” and help funnel more women into high-paying jobs in the trades. Retention is the organization’s biggest problem. “Most of our members are mothers,” Schmid, the group’s retention specialist, explains, many of them the heads of single-income households with young children. “One barrier is that when you first get into an apprenticeship, most of them [are] an unpaid pre-apprenticeship for 2 to 11 weeks.” Because apprentices have to pay bills during that time and often have children to care for as well, it’s tempting to search for a job with an hourly wage instead. Even after making it into an apprenticeship, it might take several years of scraping by with long hours before the high-paying checks arrive.

For those who do make it through, harassment and being passed up for opportunities are common experiences. But times are slowly changing. While it used to be standard practice for vans to be painted with a family name “& Sons,” it’s becoming more common to see the trades passing from father to daughter, or even in a matrilineal pattern, as in the case of Melissa Bean and her daughter Laura Tenuto of 5th Generation Contracting in Marietta, Georgia.

One support for women in construction trades can be a local union, many of which have established mandatory anti-harassment trainings in the #MeToo era, and in some cases, paid maternity leave. In some states, including New York, minority- and women-owned companies can benefit from designated business support and access to government contracts, a system that contractor Julie Kitson of Verdigree Collective in Ithaca said brings her company regular work and the ability to hire and employ diverse teams.

What is it like to be a woman in the trades today? AD PRO spoke to 11 remarkable women across the country to find out.

Clockwise from top left: Rhea Rashad, Maude Adams, Julie Kitson, Cori Wright, Lily Kline, Symone Holmes, Isis Harris, Linda Oliver, Samantha Johnston, Melissa Bean, and Laura Tenuto.

Gabrielle Pilotti Langdon

Symone Holmes (35)

Trade: Plumbing

City: Chicago

Years in the business: Six

How she got into the business: I attended the only high school in Chicago that had plumbing as a shop. I was the only girl in our class. Chicago Women in Trades came to speak to our class and they kept talking about how they offer a sisterhood. I got involved immediately. I had tons of support to work full-time as a plumber, but I wasn’t ready for the real world. I got two degrees, ended up doing dead-end jobs, and found my way back to plumbing and my local union a decade later.

On being a female in a male-dominated field: I used to be that woman who was able to identify with “That didn’t happen to me.” Until it happened to me. But don’t feel sorry for me—I was built to handle this. I call Chicago Women in Trades “the corner,” like in a boxing ring when they break up the fight and you go get advice. I take a deep breath there and think about how I can avoid the next punch. I fight my opponent Monday through Friday, and hopefully weekends too, because that’s time and a half [pay].

What she loves the most about her job: I’ve never been the type to get my nails done. I like knowing that the work I do with my hands is what puts food on the table.

Maude Adams (60)

Trade: General Contracting

City: Watermill, New York

Years in the business: 35

How she got into the business: In junior high school, boys took woodshop and girls took home economics, until one forward-thinking mother petitioned the school board for girls to be able to take woodshop. That was more fun for us than home ec! After college I became an audio engineer in Manhattan, then switched over to construction, left to go into finish carpentry, worked my way up to being a project manager for a commercial construction company, and ultimately cofounded Artisan Construction Associates Inc.

On being a female in a male-dominated field: People used to assume you didn’t know what you were talking about or couldn’t do the work, and when you did, they were shocked. I’ve had potential clients walk past me to shake my [male] coworker’s hand because they couldn’t imagine I was the one in charge. Now people give me the benefit of the doubt. In our office and many of the other builders’ offices, much of the management is female, where in the past those positions were traditionally filled by men. Still, in my 35 years I can probably count on two hands the number of women I’ve seen working in the field.

Melissa Bean (56) and Laura Tenuto (31)

Trade: General Contracting/Custom Building

City: Marietta, Georgia

Number of years in the business: 17

How they got into the business: My family has been building homes since the mid-1800s and some of my earliest childhood memories are from being on a job site with my grandfather and uncle. They poured their hearts and souls into everything they touched. I spent several years working for two of Atlanta’s largest general contracting companies [before] I founded 5th Generation Contracting. — Melissa Bean

Best part of the job: We get to work with our family. My husband, Wayne, and I have been fortunate to have our daughter Laura and son-in-law and our youngest son join the company several years ago and we are looking forward to seeing the amazing things they will accomplish. — M.B.

On being female in a male-dominated field: There is something very fulfilling about being a woman in a male-dominated field, and I think this comes from being competitive. Not only was I raised with three brothers and a sister, and trust me, you learn how to fight for yourself in that arena, but I also grew up playing every sport and had a very successful lacrosse career that lasted through college. — Laura Tenuto

Rhea Rashad (26)

Trade: Carpentry

City: Chicago

Years in the business: Four

How she got into the business: I was looking for a job that paid over minimum wage and saw a flyer about a pre-apprenticeship training program. I enrolled, completed the program, and then applied for more training with my local carpenters’ union. I just received a letter informing me I’m going to be journeying this spring.

On being a female in a male-dominated field: I work mostly on downtown high-rises doing interior layout and framing. Usually I’m not the only woman on the job, probably because I’m in the big city and on huge job sites. I see a lot of female electricians and ironworkers in particular.

Hardest part of the job: Getting looked over for certain opportunities and changing perceptions of you as a woman. For example, on job sites, people have assumed without asking me that I couldn’t carry heavy materials or equipment by myself. I’ve ended up bringing things downstairs on my own, and we could have all saved time if I’d been asked in the first place.

Isis Harris (42)

Trade: Electrician

City: Portland, Oregon

Years on the job: Four

How she got into the business: I was going through an incredibly difficult time in life. I was formerly incarcerated and was struggling to find solid work. My son had just gotten hurt and over the course of his hospitalization, I didn’t have the finances to pay for his prescriptions or our bills. I wanted to make a tangible choice that would change the direction of our lives. I found Constructing Hope and enrolled in their 10-week pre-apprenticeship program. On a field trip to a training center I got the chance to wire a simple circuit. When my light came on, I felt a light come on in my life too—the path to my future lit up and I could see myself as an electrician. Now I’m in a wiring apprenticeship with my union, working towards becoming a journeyman.

On being female in a male-dominated field: I can often be the only woman and even the only minority. Sometimes people make an effort to include me in the conversation, and there’s other times people just don’t know how to talk to me. I’ve learned not to judge people based on their initial reaction.

Best moment on the job: Recently, my foreman gave me the prints [so I could work on] a whole area of a site. The fact that I was being entrusted with a large scale of responsibility and able to complete it really made me feel great.

Julie Kitson (43)

Trade: General Contracting/Project Management

City: Ithaca, New York

Years in the business: 20

How she got into the business: I studied physics in college, then moved to Ithaca and took a job in a lab. I love taking things apart, building things back together, and understanding why things work. I needed something more concrete, and the building trades ended up being that for me.

On being female in a male-dominated field: You’re coming onto a crew, typically all male, and you’re trying to figure out how they are operating. Communication is the trickiest part. The language is often so harsh that you have to put on your armor. You’re learning on the job and they say, “Just do it.” Now that I have my own company, Veridgree Collective, I’m trying to create space in the construction industry for other voices.

Best moment on the job: Working out a ropes system to rappel down a Victorian-era chimney three stories off the ground.

Cori Wright (46)

Trade: Decorative Painter

City: Washington, D.C.

Years in the business: 22

How she got into the business: I graduated with a B.A. in studio art in 1998 and had no idea what I wanted to do, so I applied for a temporary position as a decorative painter with Architect of the Capitol. I fell in love with the [U.S. Capitol] building and the people working there. My dad worked here for 30 years as a supervisor in the electric shop right across the hallway. I’m now an assistant supervisor.

On being female in a male-dominated field: When I started here, I was the only female in the shop, but as we have grown through the years we now have 18 people on our team, and four of them are women. We’ve always had a great group; it’s my second family.

Best part of the job: We are responsible for all the painted surfaces of the Capitol building—a lot of faux finishing, gilding, sign painting, seal painting, and murals. We are here to serve Congress, so another interesting thing we get to do is a lot of painting in rooms for new members. They get to choose the colors themselves.

Samantha Johnston (21)

Trade: Plumbing

City: Attleboro, Massachusetts

Number of years on the job: Two

How she got into the business: I’ve been to jobs with my dad since I was five. Two years ago, my dad was working an excessive number of hours and couldn’t get the help he needed. I started assisting him and loved it. My training has all been on the job, but soon I’m starting my studies at Southeastern Tech towards a journeyman’s license. When I get to master plumber in about 10 years, I’ll officially take over the business.

Hardest part of the job: Thinking one day I’m going to have to run [the business] on my own and I won’t be able to have my dad there to ask questions is what scares me the most.

On being a female in a male-dominated field: Most of the guys I meet on the job site are very respectful. Men will try to flirt but I don’t let it bother me. I’ve had one older [customer] say it’s wrong that I’m in the field and that women should be home washing dishes. I replied, “Well, sir, it’s not the ’20s anymore, and one day you might need me. I’m still going to come because it’s my job to take care of people.”

Linda Oliver (60)

Trade: Wallpaper Hanging

City: Carver, Massachusetts

Number of years on the job: 35

How she got into the business: My Dad, Lee Oliver, who passed last year, was a well-known wallpaper hanger. As a girl, I remember handing him his sponges on jobs. When I was older, I was a single mother, had three kids, and needed work. I asked my dad if I could join him and he was discouraging at first. He said the working conditions were tough for a woman and that at the time you never saw women on these jobs. Instead, he let me take courses at the trade school he started. I was the only female student in the courses and he realized I was blowing all the guys out of the water. He eventually changed his mind and we started working together as Father and Daughter Paperhangers.

On being female in a male-dominated field: My first experience was [working] at a hotel. There were 300 guys and I was the only woman. Everybody was watching me. I had to paper 75 bathrooms and I started in the men’s room. Well, three guys came in and used the urinals while I was working there. I threw my bucket of dirty water on the fourth guy and yelled, “I know what you’re doing.” That was like boot camp for me. Things are different now. The men I interact with on job sites are just working hard to support their families.

Lily Kline (27)

Trade: Welding

City: Detroit

Number of years on the job: Two

How she got into the business: I wanted consistent work and knew that Women Who Weld’s six-week welding intensive pushes you into full-time employment, so I signed up. They helped us to write resumes and apply for jobs—the day I graduated, I got a job offer.

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On being a woman in a male-dominated field: It’s a job that’s always been associated with men. It’s hard, dirty work. You wouldn’t see a woman 50 or even 20 years ago doing this, but we are realizing now that we can participate. There are tons of hurdles. Even something simple like finding gloves or coveralls—none of them are made to fit and protect a female welder’s body.

Best moment on the job: After my first position I realized I really wanted to be doing elegant, refined work with furniture. When GANAS [a Detroit-based company] offered me a job, I actually cried. There’s only one other metalworker in the shop and I learn so much every day from him and other craftspeople.

Biggest lesson learned: As a woman, I’ve learned to allow myself to take up space, stop apologizing, and not feel like I can’t make myself big because I might be a distraction.