Introduce a Girl to Construction Day Kicks Off
Women In Construction Week

Try to talk to a group of girls about the rewarding careers in the construction industry, and you lose them after the first sentence. Take a girl to a job site or construction office and you've got her attention. That's exactly what the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) hopes to achieve during Women in Construction (WIC) Week, March 3-9, 2002.

NAWIC will celebrate the fifth year of an annual effort to increase awareness of women in the construction industry by launching the 2002 WIC Week campaign. WIC Week is a time for chapters to promote women's contributions to the construction industry in their local communities. In previous years, chapters have held a variety of events to celebrate Women in Construction Week: everything from Block-Kids contests to Career Days to public tours of construction sites.

This year, NAWIC will designate March 4 of that week to introduce a girl to construction. We want to reach young women in developmental stages to introduce and encourage them to consider construction careers. NAWIC members and other construction industry affiliates will use the day to introduce a girl to the possibilities and options available to them in construction. 

Several years ago, a similar concept grew into "Take Your Daughter to Work Day." The goal of NAWIC's approach is to whet the interests of young, impressionable girls and reinforce the idea that it's okay to pursue a career in a male-dominated industry and that there are many opportunities for women in construction. 

NAWIC chapters will coordinate a variety of events throughout the week. WIC Week will kick off with a briefing in Fort Worth, Texas, NAWIC headquarters. This year's theme is "Untapped Resources. Unlimited Power."

"We are a powerful resource for an industry that is in critical need of qualified, educated workers," says Marcia Rackley, NAWIC national president. "We'd like to start this process early by taking a girl to work and introducing her to the concept that it's not just a man's world. We also want to showcase the unique talents and skills that women bring to this industry."