Construction and Heavy Equipment Jobs . . . For Women Too

For those of us who know construction workers and heavy equipment operators, I am sure most of them are males. Lets face it, shopping and bulldozers just don’t seem to match up all that well; however, many of us will be surprised to learn that there are more women employed in construction and heavy equipment industries than we would think.

The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau keeps track of statistics for nontraditional occupations for women. Here are some relevant statistics in construction and heavy equipment occupations.*

Although the statistics do not show a high percentage of women involved in these occupations, it is obvious that hundreds of thousands of females across the United States are interested in or already are employed in construction jobs, including heavy equipment operating. Similar trends hold true for countries outside of the United States as well. The following is a summary from an article written on November 8, 2007 by Matthew Craze on Bloomberg.com entitled, “Andean Women Use Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks”:

South America’s mining industry is being flooded by women who come mainly from the Andean Mountains to work as mining truck drivers. The main reason the women do this is because it greatly increases their income compared to typical work in the villages and communities they live in. As would be expected by some, the men did not believe that these women would last under the harsh mining and weather conditions; however, many women feel the same way as mining truck driver, Patricia Guajardo, who said, “The winters can be very harsh, but I love it.”

 

Despite concerns or issues regarding the performance of these female equipment operators, many industry personnel actually say the women have a better touch in operating than some men do. Cristian Silva, a truck and earth-moving equipment trainer for Caterpillar, Inc., said “Women tend to take more care of the machine and don’t abuse the brakes or the engine…Operating the machine better means more profits.” This is one of the main reason mining companies in South America, such as Barrick Gold Corp. and BHP Billiton Ltd, like the female operators—their performance actually cut costs and increase output.

 

It is a win-win situation with these South American women becoming equipment operators for mining companies. It not only allows the women to increase their lifestyle and show their capabilities but it also brings in profit for the mining companies. There have been few minor difficulties in hiring women operators (some have legs that are too short to operate and it can be hard to find them because many women stay home with children). Despite these obstacles, it has been a positive experience for both the women and mining companies of South America.

 

Until 19993, women were banned from working at mines in Chile. By 2005, women made up 4.3 percent of the mining workforce in Chile, according to Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer.*

So it appears that it is safe to say that women can experience success in construction and heavy equipment work, just as men can.

References:

*(1) Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2006. U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/nontra2006.htm

*(2) Craze, Matthew. (November 2007). Andean Women Use Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks. Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aAR9kj8RyLyU&refer=germany.

MAMMOET North America Interested in OCC Campus Graduates

About four weeks ago the Oklahoma College of Construction (OCC) Director of Training Services, Scotty Gecks, received a phone call. The voice on the other end said, “This is Doug Allen Crane Division Manager for Mammoet USA. Mark Bell, our Operations Manager and I would like to visit your school next week. Do you think that would be possible?” You may have already guessed his reply was “Yes.”

During their visit, Doug and Mark spent time with students in the classroom and in the field. Their main message to the students was willingness, dependability, and attitude are what is needed at Mammoet. Doug and Mark said our six week crane program would fit well with their recruiting and training program. They accepted resumes from interested students and said that OCC’s crane program, personnel, and facilities far exceeded their expectations. They asked for return visits and will send us educational and promotional material.

Mammoet (which is Dutch for Mammoth) is a world wide specialist in heavy and complex lifting and transportation projects. They have over 1600 employees operating from more than 40 locations in 32 countries. They offer a wide array of engineering, lift, and transport services in the petrochemical and chemical industries. They are also involved in offshore construction, mining, energy, and civil engineering. The USA division includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Trinidad. This division is managed out of Rosharon, Texas where Doug’s and Mark’s offices are located. Mammoet is also involved in integrated logistical transport solutions using its hydraulic cranes, barges and multi-axle self-propelled transport units.

As President of Oklahoma College of Construction I am looking forward to the future meetings with Mammoet. We have been meeting with various associations and companies in the industry this past year to discuss potential business affiliations. This meeting with Mammoet was an unexcpected surprise, but also evidence that our efforts to reach out to the industry are getting through to significant companies and associations.

OCC Job Placement Update

The Oklahoma College of Construction (OCC), as well as all NAHETS member schools, consider job placement assistance the number one priority for graduates. Not only do we want the students to become professionally trained and certified in heavy equipment operating, but we want them to be able to use it in the workforce. That is why job placement is and always will be the most important service we can provide for our students; it is what helps students get the job.

The placement department just recently completed the Annual Enrollment and Outcome Report for the Texas Workforce Commission. This is a report that is done for licensing purposes and is completed once a year for all students that come from the state of Texas. Included in the report is information such as completion rates and placement rates. There was an overall improvement in the placement rates from last year’s report. Our crane program produced 13 graduates from Texas with a 92% placement rate for the time period of September 2006 through August 2007. Our Heavy Equipment Operations Level 3 had the most significant improvement with an 82% placement rate for the same time period. We are reaching our goals in constantly improving the job placement rate for our campus.

We have had yet another graduate that has gone to a job as an equipment operator only to be promoted to a foreman position in a relatively short time frame. The graduate, Mike Fanara, who graduated in September 2006, contacted the school seeking new graduates for his own crew in the DFW area!! He is now our point of contact for this company. We hope to continue being his “supplier” of construction equipment operators as his need for new, qualified employees continues. This one student alone is a testimonial to our campus of the importance of job placement assistance.

Placement Department and Training Department Welcome New Employee

The placement and training departments at the Oklahoma College of Construction (OCC) campus has a new Administrative Specialist, Gail McGraw. Gail assists students with resume preparation and job placement. She also assists the training department with tasks such as attendance records, grades, and NCCER certifications.

Gail came on board just four days before the Placement Director was heading out for a 6 week maternity leave. There was quite a bit to get acquainted with in four days, but she managed to do so and was a key factor in helping to keep both departments running smoothly. Gail still has plenty to keep up with working in two departments and does a great job of it. We are grateful to have her here.

A little bit about Gail’s background. She has over 30 years of secretarial experience, including 20 years spent in the engineering and manufacturing department for a worldwide manufacturer of equipment for the oil and gas industry. She has also worked in the legal, banking, accounting, and public utility fields. Gail now serves as Administrative Specialist in our training and placement departments.