CHARLOTTE, N.C. — March is Women’s History Month and this week specifically is Women in Construction Week.
To celebrate, WCNC Charlotte is highlighting some of the many women who have built careers in the trade industry.
Charlotte nonprofit She Built This City (SBTC) held a community build day Thursday at the Carole Hoefener Center in Uptown to construct benches and picnic tables for organizations in need.
Each piece placed together seemed to symbolize a step towards positive change.
“Organizations like She Built This City help demonstrate to women that they can be a part of this amazing career opportunity," Betsy Conway, Director of the Lowe's Foundation, said.
Conway says they've invested plenty of money into organizations like SBTC to help prepare people for careers in the trade industry.
“Contractors tell us they’ve got the product they need, they got a pipeline of work waiting for them, but they don’t have enough people to do that work," she said. “We have an extreme worker shortage crisis.”
SBTC was started in 2019 with a mission to break down hurdles and build pathways to careers, focused on youth, marginalized communities, and women.
“We provide free childcare," said Abby Ring, a lead trade instructor at SBTC. "We have day and evening classes, so we're removing all those barriers.”
Ring said she didn't know she could be a part of construction until she worked in disaster relief.
“I never knew that the skilled trade was something I was passionate about until I started volunteering for Hurricane Harvey," she said.
It created a spark she's now sharing with others, like Tiaunjalae Chancley.
“It’s a great feeling for me," Chancley said. “It’s making me think forward within my life.”
Chancley is one of several women who are a part of SBTC's apprenticeship program, learning to become an expert. She wasn't considering the trade industry as a career but said everything happens for a reason.
"I came from a very low point in my life, and meeting everyone here, the staff for She Built This City -- I got that confidence back that I can do whatever," Chancley, said. “It’s really a blessing."
The picnic tables and benches built will go to Inlivian and Habitat for Humanity properties, which provide affordable housing for the Charlotte region.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.