With women only making up 10 percent of the construction industry, it’s time for a change in the field. With the help of one of Arizona’s top female-owned contracting companies, a new initiative, Girls Can Build, that stat will soon be history.
The Girls Can Build initiative by Sharp Construction was designed by women for women to explore non-traditional education paths and careers, with programs that give young girls hands-on experience and mentorship in engineering, building, construction and design.
“With Girls Can Build, we want to inspire young women who love to design and build both by breaking down stereotypes around women in the industry and by showing girls the life skills and career opportunities the fields can provide,” says Tiffany Sharp, principal of Sharp Construction, in a press release.
The first Girls Can Build project is in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Arizona; it is a mobile building space that will be operated by the Girl Scouts. The mobile space will take the educational curriculum on the road, where the Scouts will travel to and provide girls with the proper access and tools to teach them building skills, basics of design and career opportunities in the industry.
“We want to create a workforce that better supports girls and women and that starts with inspiring girls to explore, experience and learn about career opportunities in non-traditional ways,” says Christina Spicer, interim CEO of the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, in a press release. “With the mobile building space, we will be able to bring these opportunities to girls quite literally to their doorsteps in their communities throughout Arizona.”
In support of the project are ASU’s Design School, Stratton Motor Cars and Kenzy Architecture and Interiors. Each provides a women-owned and -led curriculum, tools and assistance to make this important initiative possible.
To learn more about Girls Can Build, visit girlscanbuild.us.