Diversity Blog: Our Numbers Do Not Decrease Our Impact
Authored by Mimi Flatley, APR, Co-VP of Accreditation
A few years ago, a colleague and I spoke during a university communications class about how we started in our respective careers. We began by asking the soon-to-be grads where they hoped to work after college: For a sports team, at a large health care organization, in the hospitality industry, for a leading tech company, and so on. I wasn’t surprised that not one answer was the industry I’ve spent the past decade working in—the industry that builds the stadiums, hospitals, theme parks and offices these students hoped to work in—construction.
Communications in the construction industry was not on my radar after college. But there is no place I’d rather be. While the numbers aren’t that impressive – women make up less than 9 percent of the construction workforce according to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) – the women I work with truly shine.
Companies who “get it” address the gaps and offer ways to support diverse groups. At Turner Construction, for example, our Women Impacting Turner (WIT) employee resource group serves as a support system in the company to foster awareness, respect and inclusion. Turner Orlando’s WIT group includes a roster of more than 50 employees with a mission to work as a diverse team to build knowledge of business and leadership skills, and empower each other to develop and maintain work environments that recognize and cultivate a culture of diversity.
Each year during NAWIC’s Women in Construction Week, the group organizes professional development, community outreach, and networking events to highlight women in our industry. This helps empower women in construction. Just this past week, the group attended jobsite tours hosted by female project managers, attended safety classes, and highlighted the success of tradeswomen, an even smaller percentage of the construction workforce (3 percent).
As a communications professional, I’m glad the numbers don’t scare me. In my role today, I’m surrounded by engineers, safety managers, superintendents, and project managers – women – who are building the future. When women support each other, our numbers do not decrease our impact.
