FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 18, 2005
Workshop series provides tools, resources to support construction careers
Business, public service and athletics are some of the frontiers women have blazed and made amazing strides. The construction industry is a sector where women have gained some ground but make up only 10 percent of the workforce.
That’s why the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) has created the three-part Women in Construction Workshop series to provide resources and information to current and aspiring female contractors and address the unique challenges and issues facing women in construction.
The ROC has partnered with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Greater Phoenix and East Valley chapters, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Phoenix chapter, as well as other prominent women in the industry, to develop and host the free workshop series.
“Construction remains one of Arizona’s top industries, and the ROC wants to provide licensed contractors with tools and resources to help them succeed,” says ROC Director Israel G. Torres. “Through the new Women in Construction Workshops, the ROC will encourage women to pursue and establish careers as licensed contractors. Interacting with successful role models already working in the construction industry will have a tremendous impact on aspiring woman contractors or those who recently have embarked on such a career.”
In 2003, the U.S. construction industry employed 10.1 million workers, of which 975,000 were women, according to NAWIC. In Arizona, the construction industry accounted for 8.5 percent of all private-sector jobs in 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Arizona’s booming construction climate places it in the ideal position to foster more development of construction careers. Industry leaders often point to a shortage of skilled labor and more demand for work than there are workers, and women contractors are poised to gain ground in this field,” states Torres. When it comes to the top two fastest growing states from 1997 to 2004 for the number of privately held, women-owned firms, Arizona ranks second behind Utah, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research.
The ROC regulated 52,242 licenses in fiscal year 2005, with a monthly average of 700 new applicants and 1,800 renewals. That compares with 50,657 licenses in fiscal year 2004, with a monthly average of 600 new applicants and 1,400 renewals. Currently, more than 1,600 ROC licenses are held by women.
The first workshop in the Women in Construction series, Getting to Know Your ROC, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at the ROC’s main office, 800 W. Washington, in Phoenix. The other two workshops, Getting Your ROC License and Maintaining Your ROC License, will be take place on Jan. 10 and 19, respectively. For more information or to register for a workshop, call the ROC at (602) 542-1525 ext. 7106.
The first workshop will provide an overview of the ROC’s role in regulating the contracting industry, the agency’s programs for contractors and a discussion of women’s presence in today’s construction industry. Workshop participants also will have access to the ROC’s resources, including speakers, brochures, e-mail alerts, newsletters, a telephone hotline and website.
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The ROC regulates construction contractors in the state by providing a licensing and regulatory system for residential and commercial contractors designed to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Additionally, the ROC offers financial protection to residential consumers who use licensed contractors through its Residential Contractors’ Recovery Fund. Established in 1931, the ROC operates 11 offices statewide. For more information about the agency, call 602-542-1525 or toll-free outside Maricopa County at 888-271-9286 or visit www.azroc.gov.
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is an international non-profit organization with more than 5,000 members dedicated to causes for all women in construction whose careers range from business ownership to the skilled trades.
As the voice of America’s 10.6 million women-owned businesses, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) helps women evolve their businesses by sharing resources and providing a single voice to shape economic and public policy.