The Right Tools for the Job
Minnesota – In 2001, Women’s Transitional Housing Coalition, Inc. (WTHC), a non-profit housing developer and service provider in Duluth, developed the Women in Construction Training Program to provide job training and a livable wage to low-income women. Building on early successes, the program’s coordinator set up a limited liability company in 2002 as a subsidiary of WTHC. She hired women from the training program and the company began bidding on work in the community. The training component is now part of the Women in Construction Company (WiCC), a full-service construction business that offers opportunities to unskilled, low-income individuals with little or no previous experience in construction. Many WiCC employees faced homelessness, domestic violence, poverty and racism, but this small non-profit creates a supportive work environment where employees can build new skills and become self-sufficient while working on projects that benefit low-income families.
The best way to learn the construction business is to get your hands dirty. WiCC’s on-the job training and mentoring program helps employees do just that. Skilled workers train and mentor new hires and as those employees gain skills and experience, they, in turn, become mentors. Mentors provide hands-on skills training, information about workplace safety and insight into the company’s mission and philosophy. The construction industry can be a hazardous place to work, but WiCC keeps its workers safe through comprehensive employee orientations and ongoing training. Safety meetings occur at the jobsite and employees are trained to properly use equipment and safety gear and to recognize and manage high-risk projects.
In addition to on-the-job training, WiCC’s state-certified apprenticeship program offers employees the opportunity to gain journeyman carpenter status. WiCC covers tuition and time to attend conferences and workshops, provides on-site workshops and has an in-house loan program to help employees purchase tools. Workers are also given the opportunity to speak in public forums and present at conferences. WiCC focuses on leadership from within. Employees are encouraged to move outside of their comfort zones to take on new challenges and gain experience. Workers learn to estimate and run jobs, supervise and mentor new crew members and interact with homeowners and the public.
For WiCC, taking care of employees and encouraging their involvement in all aspects of the organization has improved productivity, expanded the knowledge base, brought positive change to the organization, resulted in fewer workplace injuries and reduced employee turnover. Forty percent of WiCC’s twenty employees have been with the organization since its inception, and 47 percent have been with WiCC more than four years. New policies about waste reduction at jobsites, building more energy efficient homes and becoming a “green” company go to show that creating a healthy work environment is not only good for employees and the organization – it also benefits the communities they live and work in.