Repost: 'I Chose Construction Because of a Desire to Create'

20 Questions for Women in Construction

Posted: 03/01/2013 2:48 pm
By Nedelka "Mac" McLean, Carpenter Apprentice

What was your first job in construction? My first project was a King Kullen Supermarket in Long Island.

What is your current job? Renovating a school in Staten Island damaged by Sandy.

Are you in a union? What is the best part of being in a union? I am in a union and enjoy the sense of family and guaranteed benefits.

Why did you choose construction? What led you to construction? I chose construction because of a desire to create.

Who inspires you? I am inspired and motivated by the stories of the women who came before me.

What has been the most surprising part of being a woman working in construction? The majority of the men I have worked with judge you on your skills and not your gender.

What is your favorite part of your career? When a project is near completion and I know I have made a contribution.

What is the biggest change you have seen in the field since you started? The biggest change is in the number of women in the field thanks to NEW.

What is your favorite tool? My favorite is the screw gun and T-square.

What would surprise us about you? I started in this field at age 50.

What would surprise us about you? I started in this field at age 50.

What is your favorite hard hat sticker? My Local 157 sticker.

View the original article at www.huffingtonpost.com.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) prepares, trains, and places women in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping women achieve economic independence and a secure future. At the same time, NEW provides a pipeline of qualified workers to the industries that build, move, power, green, and maintain New York. NEW transforms women’s lives. NEW’s free training program starts a woman on the path to a career where she learns a skilled trade, earns a good salary, and is able to provide a secure future for her family.