Penn College

Penn College salutes 'women in construction'

“Women in Construction Week” offers a reminder of the career opportunities represented within Penn College’s School of Construction & Design Technologies. Credit: Pennsylvania College of Technology / Penn State. Creative Commons

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Pennsylvania College of Technology’s School of Construction & Design Technologies is celebrating "Women in Construction Week," with multiple activities planned to highlight the women enrolled in construction-related majors at Penn College."Women in Construction Week" (March 6-12) is an opportunity for the National Association of Women in Construction to showcase women’s contributions to the construction industry.Carol A. Lugg, assistant dean of construction and design technologies at Penn College, hopes to raise awareness locally on behalf of the NAWIC’s national efforts. From 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, the Carl Building Technologies Center will host regional high school girls interested in career opportunities in the construction industry at an event that will include a presentation and laboratory tours by current Penn College students pursuing construction majors.“Penn College has consistently demonstrated commitment to encouraging students to consider career paths that allow them to pursue their passions and not be restricted by gender stereotypes,” Lugg said. “Recent research has shown that the wage gap experienced by women may be attributed to the career fields they chose. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the gender gap between men’s and women’s wages in the construction industry is narrower than other career fields. Opportunities exist for women willing to consider nontraditional career fields.”In addition to current students, Lauren M. (Barrett) Solomon, who earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology in May 2015, will share her experiences as a student and employee in the construction industry.During her time at Penn College, she acquired an internship in the summer of 2014 at McTish, Kunkel & Associates, where she worked mainly for the oil and gas industry. She now works full-time at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. in Lewisburg as a civil engineering technician working mainly in the land development, water and wastewater industries.High school students interested in registering are encouraged to contact the school office at 570-327-4518 or email Lugg at cal7@pct.edu.Additional events to celebrate the week include featuring students on the school Web page, www.pct.edu/cdt, and through social media, and highlighting individuals or events that encouraged those students to pursue construction careers.Penn College’s School of Construction & Design Technologies offers degrees in architectural technology; building construction/masonry; building science and sustainable design; civil engineering; construction management; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; residential construction technology and management; and surveying.“While there are more than 1 million women employed in the industry, women only comprise approximately 10 percent of the construction workforce. These women, whether they are administrative specialists, general contractors, subcontractors, tradespeople or professionals, are vital elements to the construction process,” said Sandy Field, immediate past president of NAWIC. “‘Women in Construction Week' is simply a time set aside to thank those women for all their efforts toward successful construction projects. WIC Week will also bring attention to the industry and encourage others to realize that construction is a viable, profitable career field.”For more information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

Last Updated March 10, 2016