Kirkmann interviewed for Maine Public report on women in construction
Maine Public interviewed Meredith Kirkmann, an assistant professor of construction engineering technology at the University of Maine, for a report on women in the construction industry. The construction workforce, like Maine’s workforce overall, faces a labor shortage. The industry is primarily white and male, and is aging as well. But half the potential workforce is female, making that a potential resource for addressing the shortage. Construction companies can recruit more women for construction jobs, and make the work environment more welcoming for them by shedding stereotypes and outdated attitudes, the report states. UMaine and other schools partner with construction companies to provide recent graduates with jobs and benefit those companies at the same time. “We need people, and we need women, and we need people of different backgrounds. I think it’s well known that a more diverse workforce leads to better projects and better outcomes,” said Kirkmann.