Wayzata High School Hosts ‘Women in Construction Day’
At Wayzata High School on Friday, leaders in the construction field touted the benefits of an industry students may not have thought about in years’ past.
“I do believe in years’ past either college or anything trades related, it seemed less than. We just need to get that out of everybody’s minds,” said Heidi Blanck, associate professor of construction management at Northern Michigan University, which helped host Friday’s event.
The event titled ‘Women in Construction Day‘ brought to light a glaring gender disproportion in the industry’s workforce. Only 9 percent of workers in the construction sector are women. Educators say that needs to change.
“We want them to understand it’s not a boys-only career field,” said Blanck. “It’s definitely something that all girls have an opportunity to pursue. It’s very rewarding. No matter where you are in the industry, you can be extremely successful with monetary income and benefits. It’s really just a great opportunity for people that like that tangible result.”
Blanck points to a wide variety of jobs in the field. That includes construction management, a career path that’s expected to grow by 10 percent over the next five years with a median wage of $45 per hour, according to statistics provided by Northern Michigan.
For students, it was an opportunity to hear about careers they otherwise might not have thought about.
“I didn’t know it’s so easy to get yourself involved with construction,” said Ally Cole, a Wayzata student, who could see herself in the home remodeling industry. “There’s a lot of opportunities that you can have, so you can find something that you enjoy instead of having just one job that you have to do.”
Wayzata student Alexis Schoen found interest in welding, taking after her brother.
“The jobs are all different types of jobs,” said Schoen about Friday’s event. “But they all somehow relate to each other.”
Representatives pointed out a variety of careers in the industry that offer apprenticeships, where you earn while you learn.
Marisa Dickey found a career as a project engineer with Golden Valley-based Mortenson Construction.
“Mortenson has done amazing strides toward getting more women in,” said Dickey. “We have a lot of outreach groups. We have a mentorship program where you are actually paired up with someone that has been in the industry for a little bit longer. So if you need any help, you can actually go to them and they will give you any advice that you need.”
Friday’s event included a virtual reality station where Mortenson showcased its wind turbine work. Dickey says renewable energy projects now produces half of the company’s revenue.
Another station allowed students to learn how to develop a city, which factored in everything from budgeting to construction constraints.
A student tests the wind turbine virtual reality simulator.
The different areas got students thinking of the vital role construction plays in society.
“Where would we be without just construction?” said Blanck. “If you want your roads, you want your buildings, your hospitals, your malls, your stadiums, we need the people to build them. And they are professionals. That’s the biggest thing, it’s a professional career.”
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Wayzata High School
