Jennifer Kretz was unsure of what she wanted to do for her career.
Preparing for her future, she spent an evening going over ideas with her mother and came to a conclusion – construction was the perfect fit.
“One night we were throwing out some options for a major and my mom suggested construction,” Kretz said. “She said I think like my dad and brother, who both work in the industry, and believed I would be good at it. From that point, I started taking classes and really enjoyed it.”
Kretz, who graduated from the construction management program at Ferris State University, started with Walbridge in 2017 and is already making her mark as a project coordinator in Walbridge’s Southeast office, located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
National Women in Construction Week is from March 3-9 in 2019. The week is a time to highlight women’s contributions to the industry and increase awareness about the many career opportunities in construction.
The National Association of Women in Construction, which coordinates Women in Construction Week, cites federal stats that say the construction industry is roughly 9 percent women and in the trades, that number is 3 percent.
Kretz is one of the many women who have made a career in the construction industry and that’s clear on jobsites too, where diverse workforces are across Walbridge jobs.
For Jennifer Moriarty, an assistant project manager, her construction career began in 2008 and over the last decade she’s worked on major commercial and manufacturing projects across the country. Her father and uncle both worked for Walbridge and she’s seen how the industry has grown for women during her time.
“Generally it seems that the interest in the construction industry has grown over the last five to 10 years,” she said. “It’s an exciting industry, because as you move from one project to the next you get to relive the excitement of the beginning, middle and end.”
As far as challenges for women in the field – Moriarty said the construction industry may not be very different from many other industries. But for all those interested, she recommends understanding that every industry has different needs for employees.
“Have an idea of what the industry you are choosing demands of you,” she said. “It’s important to not only do something that you are interested in but compliments both your personality and lifestyle.”
Kretz agrees that gender on a jobsite makes no difference, she just sees people who want to get the job done correctly. However, she wouldn’t mind seeing more women in the field.
“The construction industry can always use more women,” she said.
While she’s only been in the field for a year, she’s still amazed every day at the processes and excited by the growth she experiences every day.
“There are moments every day where I think ‘Wow, I’m really doing this,’” she said. “What excites me is that I am continuing to learn more and more every day and that learning will never stop.”