Construction Inclusion Week 2025: Toolbox Talk 14

Growing the Pipeline of Women in the Skilled Trades

Equip teams with practical strategies to attract, onboard, and retain skilled women across the trades through active mentorship, fair skill distribution, properly fitted safety gear, and respectful jobsite standards.

With the construction industry needing to attract hundreds of thousands of net new workers annually, tapping into the entire talent pool is a business imperative. While women make up a growing portion of the total construction workforce, they remain significantly underrepresented in active field craft roles. Closing this gap requires actively dispelling outdated industry myths, providing properly fitted PPE and secure site facilities, and ensuring fair access to high-skill task assignments. When jobsites set high standards for respect and offer clear paths for craft advancement, skilled women thrive, retention improves, and project teams operate at higher overall performance.

PILLAR ALIGNMENT: Attract & Retain, Belonging & Workforce Culture, Community Engagement

Sample Activity Options

JOBSITE ACTIVITY

Review task distribution with superintendents to confirm high-skill assignments are offered fairly and verify properly fitted PPE is available.

OFFICE ACTIVITY

Draft a feature highlighting a female craft worker or superintendent on your team to spotlight career pathways and achievements.

School/Community Activity

Outline a 15-minute presentation for a local school or career fair to share authentic career stories and dispel trade myths.

Group Activity

Divide into small groups and select one low-cost action item to execute over the next 30 days to support female craft professionals.

Discussion Questions

Closing our industry's skilled labor gap means looking beyond traditional recruiting. In this discussion, we will talk about how properly fitted safety equipment, daily jobsite respect, and active mentorship help female craft professionals build long-term careers on our projects.

  • Which local schools, workforce partners, or industry organizations can our team partner with to build stronger pipelines for women in the trades?
  • How can we better leverage storytelling to highlight women building across our jobsites?
  • What practical steps can we take on our jobsites today to ensure that all individuals have access to the right PPE, supportive mentorship, and equal opportunities for high-skill task assignments?
  • What is one low-cost, outside-the-box action our team can take over the next 30 days to encourage more women to consider a career in construction?

Start planning your Toolbox Talk Activities now! Download this Toolbox Talk below or download the full set:

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Opening Doors through Mentorship

Use everyday site mentorship to build crew confidence, accelerate skill-building, and keep talent on board.

Sparking Early Interest in the Construction Industry

Spark early interest in construction by showing local students clear, rewarding career pathways into the trades.

Respect and Inclusion on the Jobsite/ Workplace

Eliminate jobsite friction and elevate crew safety by establishing daily standards for workplace respect.

Career Re-entry

Tap into motivated talent pools by building clear career re-entry pathways for workers starting over.

Building an Inclusive Site Culture

Build a strong jobsite culture through everyday team habits that keep every crew member engaged.

Mental Health in Construction

Protect crew safety and reduce burnout by treating mental health with the same urgency as physical safety.

Psychological Safety in Construction

Build psychological safety on site so workers report hazards and address mistakes immediately without fear.

Pivot & Build – Life After Athletics

Recruit former athletes and channel their discipline and teamwork into trade leadership roles.

Construction Careers for Veterans

Connect military veterans to construction careers and apply their operational discipline directly to site execution.

Supporting People with Different Abilities and Neurodivergent Thinking Styles

Support workers with differing abilities and neurodivergent thinking styles to boost crew problem-solving.

Small Actions, Big Impact

Drive long-term team trust and retention through small, consistent micro-actions on the jobsite.

Bridging Generations: Respecting Differences, Building Together

Bridge generational gaps on site by blending decades of craft wisdom with new field methods.

Economic Opportunity - Broadening Opportunity for Qualified Suppliers

Broaden economic opportunity and drive competitive bidding by expanding your qualified supplier network.

Growing the Pipeline of Women in the Skilled Trades

Expand your talent pipeline by actively opening doors for skilled women tradeswomen and building respectful, supportive jobsites.

Opening Doors to the Next Generation of Builders

Connect early talent to modern construction careers through school outreach, clear career pathways, and strong day-one site onboarding.
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