Airconditioning Trade Association

Women in Sheet Metal Trades

Attitudes about women in construction have shifted dramatically over the past decades, and will continue to shift as their numbers in the trades grow.

In the sheet metal industry the number of women is low. According to some industry experts that is only because women aren't exposed to the trade early enough to consider it a viable option, and because they aren't made aware of the realities of working in the industry.

ACTA is actively dispelling misconceptions about what it means to be a woman in the construction trades. Women have found a place in the shop fabricating, on the jobsite doing installation, and in the office as project managers. There are also growing numbers of women business managers and owners.

As one woman fabricator said, "I like the idea of working with my hands, and especially seeing the evidence of a good day's work - a pile of sheet metal fittings ready to be shipped to the jobsite. I also like the idea of having a regular work place by working in the shop as opposed to working as an installer in the field. Most other trades require constant travel to different job sites and do not have the option of working in a shop."

It's all a personal choice. Another woman in the trade states she prefers to travel and experience the thrill of seeing a job come together. She likes driving by a building she worked on and telling her kids, "I helped build that."

Employers can counteract the strong negative messages women receive about technology and trade occupations with their own strong, positive messages. The following types of messages should be a component of all recruitment efforts: