'There's a place for every single one': Summer construction camp aims to boost girls' interest in the field

Delanee Stuve spent the last week in June learning to weld, lay bricks and install drywall. Most impressively, she successfully wired a three-way light switch.

"For some reason, they trusted a bunch of teenagers to do that," Stuve, a student at Des Moines' East High School, laughed.

The 16-year-old was among 30 girls who were part of a free construction camp created by the Iowa Department of Education for girls ages 14 through 18. They spent the week exploring multiple career opportunities in the construction industry through hands-on activities hosted by various organizations.

The camp, which is in its third year, is designed to help girls explore a career field that is nontraditional for their gender, not only through hands-on activities, but also through hearing from other women in the field.

"Part of it is being able to network and hear about the experiences of women that are already in the field, and then the hands-on (part) is really one of our biggest selling points," said Jeanette Thomas, an education consultant with the Iowa Department of Education.

"We're also trying to address that need for the skills shortage that we have in the trades," she said.

Many of the girls, who come from rural, urban and homeschool settings, have family members who already work in construction. The camp helps some find their niche, giving them the opportunity to explore multiple facets of the industry.

Over the program's three years, Thomas said she's seen an increased dedication from organizations going above and beyond to offer hands-on activities for the girls, instead of offering standard building tours.

This year, some of the activities included laying bricks at Rhino Materials Masonry, wiring light switches at Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship and practicing concrete formwork at Carpenters Local #106.

And Thomas said there's a reason why these organizations go above and beyond.

"I think they see the need," she said. "They want to get these girls into these programs and they want to keep them in Iowa ... and, again, that main thing is addressing the shortage we have."

'I believe women could close that skilled trades gap'

It's been widely reported by industry experts that the construction industry has been facing a labor shortage since the 2008 recession. According to USA Today, more than 60% of construction workers who lost their jobs from 2007 to 2009 never returned to the industry.

With another 1 million construction workers laid off in March and April of 2020 alone, USA Today reported, the construction industry is facing yet another sharp decline in workers. The industry will also face another blow as more skilled workers are set to retire in the coming years.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 10.7 million people were employed in the construction industry in 2020. Only 10.9% of them were women, and yet, nationwide, women consist of about 47% of the workforce.

Companies are actively working to tap into that protentional, trying to recruit more women to close the skilled trades gap — and many recruiters saying that, despite construction being a male-dominated field, women are more skilled in some areas.

"I've heard it time and time again: Women are excellent at multitasking and are meticulous in what they do, so they are very good in the trades, very good with their hands and being able to handle multiple things at once," said Melisa Cox, the partnership and publication manager for the Home Builders Association of greater Des Moines.

"I believe that women could close that skilled trades gap that we have all over the country," she added.

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Still, there's work to be done to translate interest into increased hiring for women in construction. Mark Smith, a business representative for Carpenters Local #106, says programs like Iowa's Department of Education's camp have the potential to do just that.

"Getting them out here, getting them a little dusty, a little dirty, letting them make a mistake or two and putting the tools in their hands ... is priceless," he said. "They call them nontraditional jobs and that's because, traditionally, they've never been exposed or directed to it, but there's a place for every single one of them."

The importance of exposure to a nontraditional career path

Also significant about the department's construction camp is exposing girls to the earning potential of these nontraditional career paths — particularly those that don't require a college degree.

"There is a lot of misconception on what you need to be able to have a good-paying job," said Kylie Ayala, a hiring manager and recruiter for Kline Electric. "I think that we have switched it around a little bit ... we are encouraging more and more people to get into apprenticeships ... but I still see women thinking their only option is to go to college."

For Ayala, it's important to relay the earning potential of the construction industry, comparing it to the price tag of a college degree.

"You could go to school for $125,000, or you can go to an apprenticeship and earn $275,000 over the course of those four years ... that's the difference," Ayala said.

Thomas agrees, saying she sees interest peak with the girls during these exact conversations.

"Knowing they can come straight out of high school into some of these programs ... you're looking at $18 an hour plus a $2 raise within the first couple months? That's a pretty good start," Thomas said.

That's something that definitely interested Stuve, who told the Register she was always told she had to go to college to make a good living. Stuve is interested in studying physical therapy, but isn't sure yet if she wants to spend seven years in school to do so. After this week, she's also interested in HVAC and electrical work, too.

"They're both, like, puzzles and I like solving puzzles and problems," she said.

Ayala hopes she'll see more camps like the Department of Education's pop up, adding she was excited to hear that 30 girls had signed up for the program. She hopes it will translate to more women entering the field locally.

"I've seen some videos about a home that's been built completely by women from the trades and women have to fly in order to do it," she said. "I would love to see that as a reality regularly and more local."

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Melody Mercado covers the eastern Des Moines metro for the Register. Reach her at mmercado@registermedia.com or Twitter @melodymercadotv.