Transportation and Construction Girl Day offers girls and young women a look at a future in the trades
For one day, the classroom moved to the dirt.
Girls climbed into excavators, poured and leveled concrete and got behind the controls of heavy equipment at Transportation and Construction Girl Day in Golden, Colo. For some, it was simply a chance to get out of school. By the end of the day, they were asking what it might take to work in construction themselves.
Transportation and Construction Girl Day is an annual event that draws more than 2,000 girls and young women to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. They receive hands-on exposure to careers in industries where women remain underrepresented.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024 reported that women make up 11.3% of the workforce in construction and 24.8% of the transportation and utilities field. (Source) Most women in the construction industry work in roles such as office and administrative support, management and business and financial operations, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Mears has participated and sponsored the event for three years, allowing employees to introduce young women to careers they may never have considered. The event also allows Mears to connect with prospective interns and show employees and their families that opportunities in construction extend far beyond traditional perceptions of who belongs in the industry.
This year, Mears gave participants a chance to experience some of that work firsthand. Girls participated in live locating on a real light pole, worked with a low-voltage security camera setup and engaged with employees across multiple parts of the business. Mears also held a raffle featuring Milwaukee tools, adding another point of excitement to the day.
“The first girls who came up to us said they just wanted to get out of school,” Mears volunteer Marie Boyle said. “But then they started asking what we do and learning about all the different places they could work. There are great opportunities for women in these industries, and they can thrive here.”
Boyle shared that as the girls asked questions about the various careers represented by Mears, they discovered that construction careers aren’t limited to operating equipment or working in the field. Mears employees represented areas including fleet management, training, social media and marketing.
For participants 18 and older, Mears also provided information about internships and a direct way to connect with the company after the event.
The event also brings together companies that ordinarily compete for projects and employees. For one day, Boyle said, that competition takes a back seat to a shared goal.
“We’re out there with our vendors and even our competition, but for this day we all collaborate and show these girls there’s opportunity for them,” Boyle said.
