Women in Construction: Celebrating CTE Month with Stories of Finding Career Success

Every February, Career Technical Education (CTE) Month celebrations around the country highlight programs that incorporate both academic and hands-on learning.

In the 2020-2021 school year:

• 102,986 secondary students were enrolled in 2,093 CTE programs
• 117,797 students were enrolled in 450 postsecondary associate degree and certificate programs in Michigan.

The number of students who completed high school CTE programs grew 24% from 2015-16 to 2020-21, and enrollment in CTE continues to increase as students and families understand the value to employers of building a foundation with both knowledge and work-ready skills.

This reversal in interest and enrollment in CTE programs is the result of many factors. CTE programs lead to jobs while also providing pathways to in-demand careers. There have been many efforts to expose and prepare students for technical careers as early as elementary school. Students learn about a range of careers and industry-approved certificates through these programs.

More students are recognizing that CTE offers opportunities to pursue high demand occupations in skilled fields which can pay dividends in earnings. Long term data show that Michigan students who completed a high school CTE program earned higher wages a year after leaving school than students who did not participate in CTE in high school. This was true for students who directly entered the workforce after high school as well as for students who continued on to complete an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or higher.

Brian Pyles, State Director for the Office of Career and Technical Education at the Michigan Department of Education

One of Michigan’s 17 CTE career clusters is Architecture and Construction. In the 2019-20 school year, there were 175 programs with nearly 8,000 high school students and nearly 4,000 in postsecondary CTE programs.

Women Find Careers in Construction

Women are vastly under-represented in construction, but I recently had the pleasure of talking to a number of women making a mark in this male-dominated field. The Operating Engineers 324 and the Iron Workers were among the trades recruiting women at an event sponsored by Northern Michigan University’s Construction Management program at Clarkston Middle School. The event was to help high school students explore careers in construction, which feature fieldwork, skilled trades, and executive-level positions.

Krystal Schnell, has been with the Operating Engineers 324 for 11 years. She previously worked in a factory, as a massage therapist, and in healthcare. After her factory job was outsourced, she decided to try construction. She joined the Operating Engineers, where only 10% of apprentices are women – though this number is higher than in several other trades. She particularly liked the ability to earn as you learn and excelled at job sites. She is now working as an instructor, both on-site and at the operating Engineers training center where she also mentors women apprentices.

Schnell says, “The most important skill is trainability – if you can learn, we can teach, but success also requires punctuality, showing up, be willing to go anywhere, and do whatever needs to be done.”

She wishes that she had learned about opportunities in construction when she was at school so she could have started years ago. As the mother of three girls (ages 6, 8, and 10), she is proud to be a role model showing them that women can do any job they want to.

Demonstrating technology in construction to high school students

Reatta Stroud, is a stationary engineer with the Operating Engineers. Stationary engineers work in heating and cooling, maintaining boiler and other equipment in buildings. Stroud joined the Operating Engineers 13 years ago from the City of Detroit, where she was a union steward. She works in the community engagement program to engage youth and job seekers through schools and churches to promote opportunities with the Operating Engineers. She also demonstrates hands-on activities at the Howell Training Center and numerous events across the region. These help to develop the next generation of skilled tradespersons – particularly among traditionally underrepresented groups.

Reatta Stroud (middle) with Lee Graham (left) and John Hartwell (right) from the Operating Engineers

Julie Tokarz, a senior majoring in construction management at Northern Michigan University, joined the NMU team working with high school students because she feels that exposure is important. She attended the CTE building trades program at Adrian High School and worked in construction before college. During college, she has had a number of internships and plans to work at a big construction program starting as a Project Manager or engineer and eventually as a Construction Manager where she would manage different tradespersons. About 10 of the 120-150 students in her program are women, but she notes that construction has the smallest gender-based pay gap. She is currently weighing several job offers starting this summer. As she will have a degree, she will not do an apprenticeship but likes talking to students about their different options and encourages them to consider construction careers.

Julie Tokarz (right) helping students with hands-on activities

Bailey Steele, is in her second year (of four) as an apprentice ironworker.

She says “I love it, so much fun! – I learn something new everyday, work hard, but would get bored in an office.”

Her high school offered limited exposure to skilled trades and although she was interested in welding, she was not accepted into this popular program. She participated in the Women Who Weld program, where she heard about the ironworkers apprenticeship program. After high school, she began the apprenticeship starting at $18.50 and is currently making $28 per hour plus healthcare and benefits. She expects to be earning $32 – $36 an hour when she completes the program. She bought her own home at the age of 22.

Ironwork is dominated by men. There are only about 15 women – out of 2200 ironworkers in her union. Although she felt that they were testing her in the beginning, “they quickly realized I am a tough girl and they are very respectful. They are like my brothers and family.”

She acknowledges that it is hard work, with long hours and physical exertion. Her favorite part of the job is going up high when working on metal frames in buildings.

Bailey Steele (pictured above) demonstrating work of Iron workers

These are just some of the women making a career in the broad field of construction. They took different paths to their careers but all have achieved success because of hard work, passion, aptitude, and opportunities for growth. If you know a student interested in the Architecture and Construction career cluster, encourage them to look into CTE programs at their local school or community college, or any of these resources.

CTE Facts – https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/CTE_Facts_Brochure_2020-21_DRAFT3_729952_7.pdf

The Build Initiative – Project Accelerate http://thebuildinitiative.org/programs/

NAWIC – Lansing Chapter #177 https://www.lansingnawic.com/index.html

MIRoad2Work https://miroad2work.org/michigan-apprenticeships/

SEMCOG and MAC are currently working on a career pathways campaign to promote career pathways and opportunities to address current labor shortages and occupations that are projected to be in-demand in the future in Michigan. Please contact me if you are interested in participating in the Advisory Team or any of the focus groups.