Mortenson's Denver Women in Construction Committee Inspires the Next Generation
As part of its ongoing partnership with the HOYA Foundation’s Transportation & Construction GIRL initiative, the Denver Women in Construction (WIC) committee hosted program participants at the Construction Industry Training Council (CiTC) to experience a day in the life in construction. CiTC, created in 1988, serves a critical need in the construction industry for skilled trades training and provides a single consistent open-shop training function for five different trade associations. This joint effort results in the conservation of administrative and overhead costs for the benefit of the students and the association members.
The Denver WIC committee played a pivotal role in this event, continuing their efforts to educate young women about the career possibilities in construction. Notably, the event was driven by seven full-time female Denver team members and six of our female summer interns, showcasing the strength and commitment of women in our industry. Career Week for GIRLs™ provides opportunities for girls aged 13 to 23 to engage with women working in this field, ask questions, and engage in a day of fun and learning, encouraging more young women to pursue careers in transportation and construction.
“Supporting organizations like Transportation & Construction GIRL allows us to demonstrate the many diverse opportunities for building a career in our industry and to hopefully inspire more girls to consider construction,” said Courtney Wiitanen, Integrated Construction Manager and WIC committee member. “Getting these real-life experiences matters, and seeing the many women working in these roles is incredibly important to helping girls expand the opportunities they imagine for themselves.”
While at CiTC, girls participated in a safety orientation, a project overview, a VR headset project walkthrough, and a hands-on woodworking exercise led by Andi Lewis from the WIC committee. During this exercise, the girls learned valuable skills in project planning, working together, and using hand and power tools. Each student built a personal book tree, gaining a tangible sense of achievement and new skills.
“The hands-on woodworking exercise was an excellent way for the girls to see the practical and creative sides of construction,” said Andi Lewis. “Watching them collaborate and build their own book trees was inspiring. They left with new skills and a sense of accomplishment that I hope will encourage them to explore careers in construction.”
Mortenson additionally hosted a career discussion panel, allowing the participants to ask questions of women in a variety of industry roles, further showcasing the diverse career paths available in construction.