Women still only make up a small percentage of the construction and trades labor force, with underrepresentation often linked to stereotypes, pressure from family, and poor workplace treatment. Despite this, many construction jobs offer six-figure salaries, benefits, pensions, and union support, making the field appealing, especially for women serving as primary earners.
In California, a number of nonprofits are working to make women feel supported in continuing their careers in the trades, according to CalMatters. With support from California’s Department of Industrial Relations, several organizations are working to recruit more women through initiatives, such as childcare stipends and one-on-one mentorship programs. Difficulties securing childcare are a major reason why women leave the trades, especially in California, where childcare is among the most expensive in the nation.
That challenge has prompted new efforts, fueled by the Department of Industrial Relations’ Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeship or “ERiCA” grants, to provide childcare to those most in need. Between 2023 and 2025, the department awarded $2.1 million to the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative to identify around 200 single-parent apprentices and pre-apprentices to receive between $5,000 and $10,000 in childcare support.
Fifty-six people have received Construction Trades Workforce Initiative’s stipends so far, more than half of whom are women.
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