The BC Construction Association (BCCA) says an increasing number of women are working in construction in the province.
According to the BCCA’s Fall 2024 Stat Pack, women represent 5.7 per cent of the construction trades work force in B.C.
And over the past five years, the percentage of women has increased by 24 per cent.
Not to be outdone, British Columbia’s roadbuilding and heavy construction industry recently pulled ahead of the provincial construction average.
“About 10 per cent of everyone employed in roadbuilding in B.C. are women,” says Teagan Burton, past chair of the Women in Roadbuilding Committee of the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association (BCRBHCA). “And they’re employed in a range of positions – traffic control personnel, supervisors, managers and office staff.
“Roadbuilding is a great career for women and the industry has become progressive and innovative in recent years.”
Burton, who is general manager of Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting LP in Cranbrook, says the Women in Roadbuilding Committee “fosters a culture of inclusivity and representation and breaks down barriers in careers in the industry.”
The committee, which was formed in 2022, also publicizes what B.C. roadbuilding employers are doing to promote getting more women into the industry and keeping them there.
The organization seems to be unique in Canada.
“We’re not aware of a similar committee in the country,” says Burton.
In the past 12 months, the committee has been engaging with youth and women who might be thinking of a career in roadbuilding and heavy construction.
In addition to being a face for new workers to identify with, committee members have been doing public speaking around the province.
For example, the theme of the B.C. association’s 2024 fall conference was Laying the Foundations.
A group of panellists discussed their organizations’ policies and hiring practices that are laying the foundation to help attract a more diverse workforce.
Members of the Women in Roadbuilding Committee have also been volunteering their time at the association’s RoadShow.
The RoadShow is a trailer that has been traveling across B.C., stopping at dozens of cities and towns. After a start in spring 2024, the RoadShow will run until early 2026.
It features a 34-foot trailer equipped with simulators and virtual reality technology, so that youth – and their parents – can experience first-hand what it’s like to work in highway maintenance and roadbuilding.
In 2024, the committee came up with the idea of creating a logo that would identify and celebrate itself.
After months of work, the new logo was released at the 2024 fall conference. The logo can also be seen on a pin that members can wear to show their support for the committee and its work, and a hard-hat sticker.
Sarina Hanschke is a member of the committee.
“The committee has helped attract and retain more women in roadbuilding by constructively addressing such issues as better washroom facilities and mental health,” she says.
Hanschke, who has worked in roadbuilding and heavy construction for almost 20 years, is involved in volunteer work in the industry.
She is also on the governance committee of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades, and is secretary-treasurer on the executive board of Build TogetHER BC.
Build TogetHER BC is a campaign of the BC Building Trades that promotes, supports and mentors women in the skilled construction trades.
Kelly Scott, who is CEO of BCRBHCA, says women are key to the roadbuilding industry.
“There’s been a huge change in the industry, and today women do everything in roadbuilding,” says Scott. “In the last few years, a lot of new opportunities have opened up for women, not just in the trenches, but also in the corner suites.
“There’s a great deal of female talent out there. The industry’s challenge is to facilitate getting more women into the industry and progressing them through it.”
Recent Comments