Making it happen on site and in your company
Employing and retaining women workers will make your company competitive on jobs with diversity goals. Whether you employ a tight group of workers as a sub-contractor or manage many large crews as a GC/CM, the Finishing the Job Best Practices (v.9.1 2021) has a checklist to guide you through the steps to find, and keep, qualified women workers.
Know the gender diversity requirements for your construction workforce
- Massachusetts law requires a goal of 6.9% women’s hours on all publicly funded construction.
- See details at here.
- All construction in Boston requires a goal of 12% women’s hours.
- A PGTI-commissioned study (2018) provides a broad overview of Boston’s policies and results: BUILDING EQUITY- Diversifying Boston’s Construction Workforce2019
- Federal construction (with certain exceptions) has required 6.9% women hours since 1976.
- The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ OFCCP Construction Technical Assistance Guide 2019 provides best practices to “eliminate discrimination and achieve their equal employment opportunity goals.” (Although aimed at federal contractors, the information is useful for any contractor or subcontractor that is undertaking to become more diverse and inclusive.)
Know the law. Partner with the resources you need for your company to be successful.
- Building Pathways, Inc. and other pre-apprenticeship programs
- Massachusetts Girls in Trades– Supporting high school women on their career paths int the trades
- Build A Life That Works and the Northeast Center for Tradeswomen’s Equity– opening the pipeline to union apprenticeship for women
- Directory of MA union apprenticeship programs (2021)
- Metro Boston Building Trades Council
- Massachusetts Building Trades Council