Dallas 2020 Construction Monthly

NAWIC: BUILDING
COMMUNTIY
The National Association of Women in Construction
(NAWIC) is an association of women founded
upon the idea of creating a support network for
tradeswomen – building a community with the core
purpose of strengthening and amplifying the success
of women in the construction industry. In order to
serve this purpose, we do our best to keep our fingers
on the pulse of the industry in order to address the
“pain points” – the areas requiring new approaches to
keep us relevant in an ever-changing world.
One of the largest issues facing the construction
industry today is the skills gap – we simply don’t
have enough skilled workers entering the trades to
fill the available positions and meet industry demand.
A huge source of potential for filling that gap is the
largely untapped resource of today’s youth. Why is
that resource untapped? One of the key contributing
factors is that trades simply aren’t being shared with
youth as viable, profitable and respectable paths for
their futures.
“The desire to build is primal to what it means to
be human. Something good happens to a person’s
soul when they work with their hands in the raw
elements of earth, wood and metal…But something
has been lost (or at least retreated to the shadows),
and the current culture does not esteem or
reward tradecraft as much as it used to.” Hayes,
Jeremiah. “Two Techniques to Connect the Next
Generation to the Trades.” Construction Executive,
18 September, 2019, https://constructionexec.
com/article/two-techniques-to-connect-the-nextgeneration-to-the-trades
So how can we help to restore what has been lost in
our current culture when it comes to how the trades
are seen, while still meeting our core purpose of
enhancing the success of women in the construction
industry? I think that most of us can agree that
improving perception of what we do and bolstering
success of our industry as a whole is vital to
enhancing our own successes. A key way to achieve
this goal is through mentorship. In supporting young
people looking to enter the trades, we create a new
generation of both young men in the industry who
recognize our viability in the field and young women
who see the potential for their own futures.
This is an integral part of what NAWIC does. We
show girls and young women that they have a place
in the industry, that being a tradeswoman is an
honorable and viable career option, and that there are
women in the workforce who are willing to mentor
them and help them get their boots under them in
a world where the ground can often be rocky and
uncertain to start. More than that, we offer a place for
them to turn for continued networking throughout
their careers.
Another huge “pain” point in the industry is
technology and the requisite continued education
to stay on top of current trends and skills. Thus, in
addition to mentorship and networking, NAWIC
offers education, training, and certification. Our
committees provide webinars to help members learn
more about specific areas of interest, and our partner
and sponsor companies also often offer webinars and
in-person training opportunities to our members.
We have also established the NAWIC Education
Foundation (NEF), which provides – in addition to
several exciting and innovative programs for children
ages K-12 – adult education and certification
programs that are recognized by the American
Council for Construction Education (ACCE).
By offering our members opportunities for
professional development, education, networking,
leadership training, public service and more, NAWIC
not only creates a support network to enhance the
success of our members, but also builds community
and champions women to impact the direction of the
construction industry as a whole.
By Amber Swinford
NAWIC Communications Manager
20 CONSTRUCTIONMONTHLY.COM