By Abigail Gocek OMAHA, Neb.- The National Association of Women in Construction, or NAWIC, supports women within the industry. A largely male-dominated field, there are about 1.2 million women totaling 14% of workers within the construction industry, according to CONEXPO CON/AGG.
NAWIC has over 100 chapters within the United States. The Greater Omaha Chapter, chapter 116, was founded in 1965. Today, NAWIC Greater Omaha continues to expand their services for both their members and the Omaha community. NAWIC Greater Omaha President Tori De Jesus says the chapter accepts women from all corners of the construction industry.
“We have anyone the heavy machine operators to marketing, insurance, project managers,” De Jesus said. “You could make t-shirts for construction, and you are still welcome as a member of the organization.”
NAWIC places a strong emphasis on the advancement of women’s success within construction. Members of the Greater Omaha Chapter build their professional network, receive experience through construction industry projects, training in skills useful for construction and involvement in the local community.
A mentorship program is also available to students looking to join the field. NAWIC provides scholarships to further support interest in construction. Through the NAWIC Founders’ Scholarship Foundation, NAWIC reports scholarships begin at $1000 with $250,000 being rewarded each year. The Greater Omaha Chapter offers another scholarship through Metropolitan Community College, the University of Nebraska and Southwest Community College.
The Greater Omaha chapter hosts various events throughout the year for the community. Their largest event is their Golf Outing partnered with the Construction Financial Management Association Nebraska Chapter. Held yearly, the event helps fund the scholarships the NAWIC Greater Omaha Chapter provide.
The NAWIC Greater Omaha Chapter also partners with local schools to spread awareness of the opportunities found in the construction industry. Members speak about the construction industry at schools and attend career fairs. The chapter hosts the Block Kids event yearly for children between kindergarten to sixth grade. Children are given building blocks and are given an hour to create something construction related.
A new venture the chapter is providing is membership for students. College students studying construction can join the NAWIC Greater Omaha chapter for $25. Student members receive the same benefits and training as their adult peers.
For more information you can visit the chapter’s website at nawicomaha.org. For any questions, you can contact chapter President Tori De Vega at blazerstoblueprints@gmail.com.
