Decades after women successfully broke into many of the state’s other industries, construction is still a male-dominated world in New Hampshire. But trade groups and construction executives, including prominent female industry leaders, feel they’re making big strides in changing that.   

A recent in-house survey conducted by the New Hampshire/Vermont chapter of the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC NH/VT) revealed that women make up approximately 16 percent of the management employees and 13 percent of the craft workers among contractors in the area. 

Construction offers numerous career opportunities and competitive salaries. Whereas women make on average 80 percent of what their male counterparts make in the total U.S. workforce, that gender gap is virtually non-existent in construction. Women earn on average 99.1 percent of what men do in the industry according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  

Still, the rise of women in the field is still slow-going, even as more women are now owners of area construction companies than ever before.  

“Some of the low numbers can be contributed to women feeling like they are not welcome, or even realizing that there is a place here for us too, but that will not stop us women who are connected via similar interests, from always trying to recruit more ladies into the trades,” said Lee-Ann Dicey, heavy equipment manager at Dover-based S. J. Cantwell, Inc. “At any opportunity I get, I am speaking of the strengths women bring to the construction industry. Bringing our natural ability to be organized and have the heart it takes to survive in this industry is key to success here.” 

Push to Showcase Women’s Success 

One of the biggest problems with getting women interested in the field is the stereotype that it’s an “old–guy” industry, a reputation industry leaders are tackling head-on.  

The ABC NH/VT expanded its annual Women in Construction Work Week throughout the entire month of March, featuring the profiles of 80 women in the industry in New Hampshire.  

“In those profiles, you’ll find owners, you’ll find engineers, estimators, and craft workers too,” said Josh Reap, president and CEO of the trade group. “We have women building offices, schools, homes and important places in the community that make a difference.”  

These kinds of efforts to raise women’s profiles in the industry are key to making more women feel like they will be accepted on jobsites, said Catherine Schoenenberger, president of NH Construction Career Days, treasurer of the National Association of Women in Construction’s Granite State chapter (NAWIC) and owner of Stay Safe Traffic Products.  

“NAWIC tried to amplify the success of women in construction and in trying to do that, we make sure there is a safe space for women, so they are comfortable in the positions that are populated by men in a big way,” she said. “If they are going on site, and there’s a 40-1 ratio, that can be very intimidating.” 

The lack of other women on a job didn’t always mean a less welcoming workplace, either. Many women were pushed into menial jobs in the past. 

“It is a lot more common to walk onto a job site and see a woman doing the job alongside the men rather than flagging traffic which seemed to be what most women were relegated to when I first started,” said Tammy J. Ellis recently retired from the highway construction field after 33 years. “Many programs were in place to promote the hiring of women as apprentices, but in the early years very few of them stayed in the industry.” 

Women on the Rise 

Schoenenberger said she tries to instill confidence in any woman she comes across in the industry and is happy to be a mentor to those who seek advice.  

“I am the daughter of parents who owned a construction company, so I was exposed to the industry early,” she said. “We haven’t really moved the needle since 1970 and we still have many hurdles to jump through. But it’s becoming more accepted.”  

Schoenenberger said she’s seen more female senior project managers in recent years, and occasionally teams of all women working a job. It showed when NAWIC partnered with IBUILDNH and ABC NH/VT to find nominees for the latter’s Women in Construction Work profiles. 

“It was incredible. We had the most entries this past year than ever before,” S. J. Cantwell’s Dicey said. “I feel so fortunate to have connected with so many new women in the industry through this event. Building a network of strong, like–minded women is an unstoppable force. We belong here and the stereotypes surrounding us are fading away as we prove our need in construction.” 

At Methuen Construction, based in Plaistow, 17 percent of the workforce throughout all departments are women, which is better than the national average. 

“As a company, we have built a strong women base of employees by utilizing the tools available through social media advertising, career fairs, memberships with local networking groups, internal leadership programs, and working with local colleges and high schools to promote the growth in workforce in our industry,” said Michelle Trodella, director of operations administration for the company. “Overall, in the region, I see our industry growth for women in construction increasing at a rapid pace and think this will continue to hold strong and/or increase as more shared knowledge gets out to more schools at a younger level.” 

New Efforts Focus on Teens 

While the state’s high schools and career technical education centers are introducing more women to the industry, ABC NH/VT’s Reap believes the conversations about opportunities in construction need to begin in middle school. 

“The ABC NH/VT works with instructors to bring in owners and craft professionals into the classroom – many of them women – to talk about the trade and get people excited,” he said. “The conversation really needs to begin when students start to explore what they want to do as a career.” 

ABC NH/VT recently partnered with Parkside Middle School in Manchester to create a career exploration program in construction.  

“We’re not just building birdhouses; we’re having a plumber come in to talk about pipes in the building, an electrician to talk about wiring it up, and the kids are seeing real-world examples to get them engaged,” Reap said. “We’re finding more and more girls are interested in these now.” 

There’s also Girls at Work, a Manchester-based program, that helps empower young girls by giving them confidence in building things and presents construction as a career opportunity. 

“Women have a place in construction, whether in the field or in the office,” Dicey said. “We have skills that most men do not. We are known for our organizational skills, ability to communicate well, and the heart to genuinely care about what is happening and how we can help. Your gender does not determine what you are good at. If you have those natural abilities that benefit a company, do not be afraid to take the leap and show people what you are.”