SUFFOLK, Va. — The Hampton Roads Workforce Council (HRWC) hopes to break down barriers for women in skilled trades through its second annual Women in Skilled Careers Summit.
“What are we doing to close the gap?” asked ShanKrystal McCaulley, the program manager for Women in Skilled Careers (WISC) at HRWC.
The question sparks much conversation inside Old Dominion University’s Virginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center in Suffolk on Thursday.
“We will be discussing those challenges that women face,” stated HRWC Senior Director of Community Initiatives Christina Brooks. Those challenges include careers in construction and manufacturing. Some of those challenges are access to quality and affordable childcare and workplace harassment.
“Respondents to a 2021 Women’s Policy Institute survey, 26.5% to be exact reported that they are always or frequently harassed,” said Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Policy Analyst Ashlyn King.
Brooks also noted a lack of support as another challenge.
“In some of our areas, women may be one or two in their workforce,” she said.
The workforce council’s data shows men make up 86% of people in the region’s construction industry, but there are only 13% of women in the field. For manufacturing, women account for 25% of workers and 12% of maritime workers.
Sherri Miles, the president of Miles Roofing Inc., said it’s important to expose women, especially girls at an early age, to opportunities in skilled careers.
“We really have a job ahead of us to make a culture in our companies really welcoming to women,” Miles said.
Despite being underrepresented in these fields, King notes some progress.
"There are more than 390,000 women working in construction and extraction occupations which is an 11% increase since 2017," she said.
However, King added there is much more work to do.