Women in Demand
Constructing their futures
BY TRENT ZBICHORSKI
Like a lot of women who choose a professional career in construction management, Minnesota State University Moorhead student Elly Lehn grew up around the business.
“My dad started as a diesel mechanic at Veit and is now the executive of fleet operations,” said Lehn, a junior in MSUM’s construction management program. “I couldn’t tell you how many times I sat on my dad’s lap in a bulldozer or an excavator and loved it.” Many women are introduced to the industry this way.
In the male-dominated construction field, just 8.9 percent of women work in the industry nationwide, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Most often, they are doing clerical or support work.
That’s why Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations, sponsors the Women’s Construction Leadership Seminar.
Lehn was one of 50 women from 47 universities across the United States and Canada selected to participate in this year’s seminar to develop leadership skills, network with successful female leaders within the industry, and learn about the challenging opportunities in the construction and/or engineering industries. Nearly 150 women applied for the program.
“It’s important to encourage STEM programs locally within the schools and to support women in the construction industry,” said Courtney Baird, human resource coordinator at Kiewet headquarters in Omaha, Neb. “This seminar showed the positivity, encouragement and recognition for women within the construction industry.”
This encouragement gives young women the confidence they need to enter a male-dominated college program and to persevere in working toward upper management positions within the industry.
“I learned how powerful it is to have leadership skills in the construction industry,” Lehn said. “You can’t be afraid to speak out and have a voice, no matter how intimidated you may be by your male counterparts.”
Connecting with successful female employees from Kiewit was a highlight.
“We learned how they worked their way up to being project managers and how they have succeeded in the construction industry,” Lehn said. “A lot of women going into this type of work think they can’t do it, but hearing from these women shows it’s possible.”
The experience also confirmed her career choice. “I am just as capable of success in the construction industry as any man.”
Norma Andersen, a faculty member in MSUM’s construction management program, said a common misconception about this field is that it’s heavy manual labor, but in reality, it’s managing large-scale construction projects. Excellent employment opportunities exist for women willing to relocate, including the fact that women working in construction in the U.S. earn on average 93.4 percent what men make, about 11 percent more than on average for all other industries. (Source: www.bls.gov/opub/reports/cps/women-in-the-labor-force-a-databook-2014.pdf)
Lehn is one of four women out of 89 majors studying construction management at MSUM. “Over the past five years we have been at 100 percent placement,” Andersen said. “And women are highly sought after in the industry. Last spring’s average starting salary of all CM students was $56,000.”
It’s an excellent career choice for many. “There will always be a need for construction managers,” Lehn said.
“Elly will be a role model for other women interested in the construction industry,” Andersen said. “She demonstrates what Dragon pride is all about.”
The American Council of Construction Education accredits MSUM’s construction management program. It was the first Construction Management program accredited by ACEE in the state of Minnesota. Learn more about MSUM’s construction management program.