BALTIMORE — Sianci Jones sits front row in a classroom at Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Greater Baltimore, learning about what it takes to become an expert in electrical work.
"I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone and this is it," she said. "It's hands on, I get to interact with people but I also get to work by myself so it's the perfect profession for me."
Jones is only one of two women in the apprenticeship class, which also happens to be led by a woman, DeShawne Aytch.
"Being a female in this field, its like strange to the guys, but to me, I feel like one of the gang. I can do just as much as they can do," she said.
Aytch remembers one of the first labs she did during her apprenticeship, where they had to figure out how to make a lightbulb turn on.
"I was the first to make my light come on and I was surrounded by men. I was the only female."
Women are significantly underrepresented in construction. In 2020, one out of every 10 people working in construction was a woman, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data shows that the number of women in construction was on the rise from 2003 until the Great Recession in 2008, and has very slowly been on the way back up.
"In the beginning there wasn’t many of us," said Aytch. "So we are coming a long way. I’m starting to think women are realizing that you don’t have to sit at a desk, you don’t have to cook and clean for a living, there’s other things you can do and make good money and learn a lot."
Jones doesn't mind being one of just two women in her apprenticeship class. She's confident more women will see the benefits of construction and join their ranks.
"Women, we’re just slowly getting into it but we’ll get there. Trust me," she said.
And all it may take is one moment when the lightbulb goes off, literally.
"You try, you get a feel for it. Like I said, you make your first lightbulb come on, I’m telling you that feeling is euphoric," said Aytch. "I’m still chasing that feeling!"
For more information about networking, education and job opportunities for women in construction, check out the Baltimore chapter of the National Association for Women in Construction.
For more information about ABC Greater Baltimore, click here.
