Employers, government partner to employ1 million women in construction

Two BC&E members – Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company – have joined a nationwide effort to increase the number of women working in construction.

The Million Women in Construction Community Pledge is an initiative by the U.S. Department of Commerce designed to encourage companies to build on their workforce development and recruiting efforts to broaden opportunities for women. Through the initiative, the federal government is also encouraging states to include workforce development efforts in projects funded by the CHIPS and Science Act, the bipartisan infrastructure package, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Currently, women make up just 10.9 percent of the construction workforce. The Million Women initiative aims to double that number over the next decade.

“Gilbane is proud to be an early supporter of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Million Women in Construction initiative to help break down barriers and empower women to thrive in the construction industry,” said Brian Malanchuk, Maryland Business Leader at Gilbane Building Company.

“Companywide, our workforce is approximately 29 percent women,” Malanchuk said. “We continue to work to build a more diverse workforce through a number of initiatives from recruitment, retention and advancement, to internal mobility and pay equity.”
Gilbane, he added, achieved pay equity with respect to gender, ethnicity and race in 2022.

Meanwhile, Turner Construction has been working to increase the diversity of its workforce through multiple efforts. Turner operates a range of Employee Resource Groups, including the Women’s Network and the Mosaic Network, to empower career advancement of diverse employees.

The company has also joined external partnerships and initiatives – including Nontraditional Employment for Women, the Society of Women Engineers, the National Society for Black Engineers, and AEC Unites – to support the inclusion of more diverse workers, including women, in the construction industry.

“We create a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone can be at their best, be authentic and be treated with respect and dignity,” said Peter Davoren, President and CEO. “Signing the [Million Women] Pledge reflects our commitment to reflect the communities where we live and work, at all levels of our company.”