It’s Women in Construction Week! I Build America – Kentucky is taking the opportunity to share the stories of the women across the state who make up our great industry. The stories of these women show the diverse backgrounds, interests, skills, and talents that are part of the work we do–and we encourage more women of all ages and interests to consider careers in construction.
You can follow along as the nation celebrates its female construction workforce. Check out the hashtag #WICWeek2022 and #IBuildAmericaKY!
The Women of Kentucky’s Workforce: Meet Lauren
Name: Lauren Stokes
Position: Inside Sales
Company: Rogers Group Inc.
Years Working In Construction: 1
In your experience, what do women bring to the construction industry?
Women can provide a new perspective to the construction industry.
In what ways does your company support more women joining the industry?
Rogers Group Inc. has women in many different leadership positions throughout the company. From Lead Maintenance Technicians who run our maintenance teams in the mine, to our Vice Presidents who lead our company through business planning. Rogers Group Inc. provides an opportunity for women with any career pathway.
What do you like most about working in construction?
I love working with a wide variety of people. I can sit in a meeting with men in suits or put on my hard hat and steel toed boots and go to work with people who work in our mines. The construction industry has so many different positions that allow all of us to work towards the same goal. Blue collar workers are some of the nicest, most respectable people I have ever had the chance to work aside.
If you were to give young women (high schoolers) advice about beginning a career in construction, what would you say?
Don’t limit yourself to specific industries based on your gender identity. Becoming part of the construction industry has allowed me the opportunity to learn from many different perspectives and walks of life. The construction industry is filled with the hardest working, down to earth people you will ever meet. For a very long time, there has been a culture of the construction industry only being for men. It’s time that we, as women, break down that barrier and create a greater since of diversity within our industry.
