(This article was originally published in April 4, 2017 by Bisnow).

Nearly 40 years after President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order mandating women hold 6.9% of work hours on construction projects receiving federal funds, the number still hovers between 2% and 3% nationally.

No state has come close to his aspirational rate until Massachusetts began to see a rise in women joining the industry in the last five years.

Courtesy of Elizabeth Skidmore

PGTI co-founder Elizabeth Skidmore

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“Something is happening where, after decades of no progress, we’re beginning to see an increase in women in construction,” said Elizabeth Skidmore, business representative/organizer at the New England Regional Council of Carpenters and co-founder of the Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues. 

Women in construction apprentice programs in Massachusetts leaped from 180 in 2012 (4.2% of all active apprentices) to 473 (6.9%) in 2016. 

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