The National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) annually dedicates the first full week of March to recognize the women in the field, making a difference in the construction industry. This event is a chance to educate, promote and discuss the impact of women in construction, and the holiday week is recognized industry wide to show respect to their contributions. For this year’s Women In Construction Week, Bluebeam’s StrXur platform will be recognizing three different groups, each of which are positively affecting the industry by helping to address the nationwide skills shortage, attracting new talent to the industry and fostering community growth among members worldwide. Thank you to all of the hardworking and dedicated women in the AEC Industry, your efforts are appreciated!
Women in Construction Week Spotlight: WiOPS
Focused on mentoring future women leaders in construction
On a desk at Lendlease offices sits a picture of “the iceberg illusion.” Optimists may know this diagram well, in which a smaller part of an iceberg sticks out of the water while the bigger part, representing the struggles in life that cannot be seen by others, looms below the surface. “I see it every time I need inspiration or when something is not going well,” says the desk and the picture’s owner, Assistant Project Manager Evelyn Policicchio.
As a proud member of WiOPS, Evelyn represents the poised integrity the group was founded on. “Be strong and of integrity,” she affirms. “You never know who you are inspiring.” That sense of inspiring one another and being able to provide guidance to the AEC community shapes this group of construction professionals, from all walks of life.
Mentorship
“We decided to initially focus on mentorship, because men in our business can find male mentors within their own organization,” says McCarthy Project Director and WiOPS co-chair, Holly Cindell. “In contrast, women sometimes need to look outside of their own companies to find other females in similar roles. WiOPS can aid by supplying the forum to meet other women who will share their experiences and provide guidance, advice and encouragement, equipping each of us with the tools we need to excel in a non-traditional field.”
Mission
WiOPS is committed to the advancement of women in construction operation positions and mentoring future women leaders in our industry. Through mentorships, education and networking, they are dedicated to establishing a platform to share our goals and explore solutions to the unique challenges women encounter. WiOPS promotes hard work, commitment and integrity to maintain a professional network of construction leaders today and tomorrow.
Bluebeam gladly salutes this incredible organization for their continued contributions to the betterment of the AEC industry and their boundless pursuit of mentoring and creating future leaders.
In addition, Bluebeam is very proud to host WiOPS for an evening of estimations, takeoffs and tech exploration on May 31, 2017.
For information about WiOPS and how you can get involved, go to their site.
Women In Construction Week Spotlight: Women In BIM
Creating a global online community of female BIM and digital construction professionals
As a young construction professional, Digital Node consultancy owner and Women In BIM founder Rebecca de Cicco began noticing that the higher she got in position, the less likely she was to find other women in similar roles. In fact, roles that were closer to BIM or higher in responsibility had an even wider gender gap. The perception of women at these levels of title also paled in comparison to their male counterparts. Instead of feeling frustrated, de Cicco saw an opportunity.
The Inception of Women in BIM
In 2013, Rebecca de Cicco created Women In BIM as a networking group to support and draw attention to the low number of women in BIM-related roles in design and construction, with the goal of creating a global online community of female BIM and digital construction professionals.
“Women who work in the construction industry benefit from the support of their peers,” explained the UK- and Australia-based de Cicco at Digital Construction Week 2016 via Construction Magazine and the CIOB. “We invite all women working in BIM worldwide to join our network.” The Women in BIM network already has some 200 LinkedIn members globally, with membership increasing steadily.
The Objectives of the Women In BIM Network
- Create Hubs of Support for women to network, discuss and share ideas in the context of BIM around the globe
- Gather data and create a series of infographics illustrating our reach globally.
- Inform industry as to where Women in BIM can grow and support within each geography.
- Provide information to help the industry and governments address diversity issues.
The Mission
“Diversity and inclusion of all genders, ages and minorities must be addressed in order to tackle the skills gap,” said de Cicco in a 2016 interview. “This is especially relevant within the context of BIM as we have a large workforce in the UK, but the skills are often not available.” Through the Women in BIM network, the group aims to encourage and support Women in BIM, advance and retain Women In BIM, while attracting and promoting Women in BIM worldwide.
Bluebeam is proud to shine a light on this incredible organization for its mission and positive impact on the AEC industry.
To learn more about or join Women in BIM, visit their site.
Women In Construction Week Spotlight:
Women Who Code
Changing the face of the tech industry by supporting today’s women in tech to become tomorrow’s role models
Founded in 2011, Women Who Code (WWCode) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. The organization consists of over 50,000 members around the world, located in 60 cities, with each representing a network within 20 countries. Careers in software development pay well, with a median income that is 42% higher than other jobs, and Women Who Code is dedicated to providing a vital pipeline to attract new talent and connect existing talent to this growing sector.
Women Who Code has produced over 4,000 technical events and has awarded over $1,000,000 in educational scholarships and tickets. By hosting free events, Women Who Code is a valuable resource to members from all levels of career and technical savvy, with schedules that allow hard-working professionals to find time to participate in these events.
Events and Developmental Resources
- Providing free technical study groups (Ruby, JavaScript, iOS, Android, Python, Algorithms)
- Connecting the community with influential tech experts and investors
- Offering career and leadership development
- Increasing female speakers and judges at conferences and hackathons
- Increasing participation in the tech community
Job Board
Another useful resource for Women Who Code is a job board on the group’s website that spans all sectors of the tech industry. Members can view or post jobs or refer other professionals, providing real opportunities for workers of all levels of experience.
Bluebeam understands the value of an organization like Women Who Code for the tech industry as well as the AEC industry, and hopes their success continues year after year.
If interested, go to womenwhocode.com to find a Women Who Code group near you.
