Gov. Mills signs executive order to boost employment of women in construction

Gov. Janet Mills signed an executive order on Monday to boost the recruitment, training and retention of women in the construction industry in Maine. 

The order directs state agencies to collect baseline data to better assess the status of women in construction in the state, consult with state-wide entities like unions to improve upon that status, as well as identify and carry out state and federal grant programs that incentivize businesses to hire women and support their retention in the industry. 

“Women are a crucial part of Maine’s workforce, and they should be welcomed and embraced in every sector of our economy, including those traditionally dominated by men like the construction industry and the trades,” Mills said.

While women comprise more than 50% of the nation’s workforce, they make up only 11% of the construction industry and 4% of trade occupations. Women in construction make up slightly more of the industry in Maine, at about 15%, according to the governor’s office. 

“This Executive Order will create pathways for more women to enter and succeed in these important jobs at a time when our state and the industry needs them most,” Mills added.

Job openings in the industry are near record levels and landmark investments, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, are slated for a number of projects such as improving road infrastructure and broadband connectivity that will require a robust workforce.

Overall, Maine needs more workers. The state’s 10-year economic strategy outlines a goal of attracting 75,000 people to Maine’s talent pool by 2029. 

The percentage of jobs unfilled in Maine has nearly doubled compared to 20 years ago, according to the annual “State of Working Maine” report from the Maine Center for Economic Policy released in the fall. And, at the same time, Maine’s workforce has seen far less growth compared with growth nationally. 

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Further, according to the Maine Department of Labor, the state’s workforce is projected to shrink by tens of thousands of people throughout the next decade compared with levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Careers in construction can be exciting and rewarding, but our industry needs more people,” said Joyce Taylor, chief engineer at the Maine Department of Transportation. “New attitudes and technologies have helped broaden and diversify our industry’s workforce. Today, a career in construction is a good fit for anyone who wants to challenge herself and feel pride in her accomplishments at the end of each day.”

Representatives from major industry players, including Maine AFL-CIO and the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, also voiced support for the executive order Monday. 

“Maine unions are focused on training more women in the trades through registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and women who have come through these programs have added tremendous talent and capacity to our construction workforce,” said Sam Boss, Maine AFL-CIO Apprenticeship, Workforce & Equity director. “This Executive Order will help us to expand existing programs and support innovative efforts to recruit and train more women around the state.”

The executive order outlines four overarching directives, one being that the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Economic and Community Development connect construction businesses with women studying the trades in pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs and higher education institutions, in addition to women who are currently unemployed and registered with the state’s career centers.

Two of the order’s components have a specific focus on data collection. The Department of Labor will be tasked to survey Maine-based contractors, staffing agencies and unions to assess how many women work for them and barriers that may be preventing more women from joining. The surveys will also collect information about current recruitment and retention practices to be improved upon. 

The Departments of Transportation and Economic and Community Development, as well as the Governor’s Energy Office, are also tasked to collect and share data from contractors who receive federal infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Act funding to identify the number of workers still needed to complete projects and identify what added supports, such as training, could be useful in filling the gap. 

The order also directs those departments, as well as the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, to pursue grants that incentivize construction businesses to hire women. 

This latest executive order builds on earlier state investments to expand apprenticeship programs, strengthen technical education and provide more people with access to college through Maine’s free community college program. 

Back in 2020, Maine’s chapter of the the Associated General Contractors of America also adopted something called the Culture of C.A.R.E.  model, which stands for Commit, Attract, Retain and Engage, to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Kelly Flagg, executive director of AGC Maine, said she’s been seeing more diversity in the people selecting construction as a career of choice.

“Our Maine Construction Academy metrics show a significantly more diverse population than has been historically represented,” Flagg said, “including showing an increase in women choosing construction.”

The executive order took effect immediately upon the governor signing it Monday.