To help highlight women as a viable force of the construction industry, CONEXPO-CON/AGG announced a partnership with two women in construction-focused associations; The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), and Women of Asphalt (WOFA).
“As the largest construction industry-focused trade show in North America, CONEXPO-CON/AGG seeks to draw attention to and celebrate the important role women play in the industry,” said Dana Wuesthoff, vice president of expositions and event services with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and CONEXPO-CON/AGG show director. “Working together, CONEXPO-CON/AGG, NAWIC and WOFA, will not only showcase women industry leaders, but reinforce the career growth potential for women, who today represent a small percentage of the workforce and the opportunity to diversify the industry.”
The organizations plan to pool their collective influence to sponsor and engage in education and other events at the show, running March 10-14, 2020 in Las Vegas. The partnership will kick-off on Wednesday, March 11th with a breakfast event – Genders on the Jobsite. Special guests Vicki O’Leary, founder of Be That One Guy and Lorein Barlow, director and producer of Hard Hatted Women will have a candid discussion on how women experience job site opportunities and challenges and explore how everyone has a role in keeping job sites productive and safe for all workers.
“According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, women make up only 9 percent of the total workers in construction,” said Chrissy Ingram, Executive Administrator of NAWIC National. “As our industry continues to grapple with a labor shortage, women are poised to help play a greater role in all areas of construction. By teaming with CONEXPO-CON/AGG, organizations like NAWIC and WOFA can help women thrive in a male-dominated industry.”
Social media influencer and construction business owner Missy Scherber will join other influencers, including Aaron Witt of BuildWitt, Keaton Turner of Turner Mining Group and Stacey Tompkins of Tompkins Excavating for a panel discussion and networking event in the Tech Experience on Wednesday afternoon. The group will answer your most pressing questions on using social media to recruit new hires, developing your corporate values and culture, taking your marketing to the next level and the changing face of the construction industry.
“Our industry and our companies all benefit from a diverse workforce,” said Amy Miller, P.E., president of WofA. “Through Women of Asphalt, we are looking to fulfill industry workforce needs by engaging with women at schools, through our podcast, and in-person events to show them all they can achieve with a career in the asphalt industry.”
Other events include:
- Widening Your Workforce: Executive Lunch Forum on Friday (LINK)
- New Approaches to Building Female Construction Leaders;
- Gain a Competitive Advantage Through Construction Technology
- Attracting and Training Your Workforce: Operating Engineers’ Innovative Solutions
- Several Tech Talks will feature influential women in the industry, including Allie Kelly of the Ray, Lorein Barlow film maker of Hard Hatted Woman, and Desi Matel, Chief Wrangler at FIT.
These and other highlighted educational programming at CONEXPO-CON/AGG can be found here.
Registration for the breakfast and lunch forum can be found here.
About the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM):
AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide. The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 1.3 million jobs and contributes roughly $159 billion to the economy every year.
About CONEXPO-CON/AGG:
Held every three years, CONEXPO-CON/AGG is the must-attend event for construction industry professionals. The show features the latest equipment, products, services and technologies for the construction industry, as well as industry-leading education. The next CONEXPO-CON/AGG will be held March 10-14, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information on CONEXPO-CON/AGG, visit https://www.conexpoconagg.com.
About The National Association of Women in Construction:
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC – https://www.nawic.org/nawic/default.asp) Began as Women in Construction of Fort Worth, Texas. Sixteen women working in the construction industry founded it in 1953. Knowing that women represented only a small fraction of the construction industry, the founders organized NAWIC to create a support network. Women in Construction of Fort Worth was so successful that it gained its national charter in 1955 and became the National Association of Women in Construction. Today, NAWIC provides its members with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, public service and more. Core Purpose: To enhance the success of women in the construction industry.
About Women of Asphalt:
Women of Asphalt (WOFA – https://womenofasphalt.org/) is a national grassroots coalition started by women in the asphalt industry with the purpose of supporting career growth and development for women in all aspects of the industry. WofA encourages women to seek careers in the asphalt industry and provides mentoring, networking, education, and advocacy opportunities.