This week is Women in Construction Week and in celebration we’re profiling a few of our incredible female Barton Malow team members. WIC Week is an annual event put on by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry. We also invite you to participate by posting on social media using #WICWeek2021 and recognize the women in construction who inspire you, share advice for other women in construction, or post a picture.
Name: Candace Greene
Current Role: Hoist Operator
Current Location: Wayne County Criminal Justice Center; Detroit, Michigan
Years in the Industry: 22 years
What led you to a career in the construction industry?
Equal pay and equal raises, great medical, and great retirement. Flexible.
What are some of the biggest challenges of being a woman working in construction?
Being a woman, we have to prove ourselves to others that we can do the job and do the job well.
What do you love most about your career?
Independence to work all over the state of Michigan and meet great people. I have also worked in Ohio and Indiana.
What advice would you give a women starting out in the industry?
Learn your trade and advance your skills. If you can raise your children, this is a cake walk. You can do it, just put your mind on your trade. We all make mistakes. We are doing this for our family.
This year’s theme is “Connect, Collaborate, Construct.” What are some of the ways you’ve worked to connect, collaborate, and construct with other women in construction?
With 22 years in the skilled trades as an Operator, sometimes I’m the only woman on the job. I celebrate all the women at the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center project. I welcome them to the sheriff building and encourage them.
I love being an Operator. My career put my daughter through college. That’s my greatest joy. Thanks to Operating Engineers 324 for all my training and thanks to Barton Malow for a great opportunity at the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center.
