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The following is a revised version of a keynote address delivered at the annual conference of the Society of Women Engineers on October 25, 2024, in Chicago.
Across the long arc of human civilization, what endures? What speaks to us through the ages, spanning the generations to tell us about the lives and stories of those who came before?
Some might say literature, in the form of the written word. Some might say works of visual art. Some might say weapons and tools.
But if you really want to go back and understand how our ancestors lived, to see and touch the world they created for themselves and the dreams they shared, you need to look at the things that they built.
Think about it: Exploring the ancient structures of vanished societies is not just how we come to know the past. In some cases, it’s the only way we know that the past even happened because finding those buried ruins is where the entire discovery process begins.
Although there is a lot to admire in these past finds, there’s also one thing that’s almost always missing: the talents of women. The built environment of the past, just like much of the world that surrounds us today, was predominantly designed and constructed by men.
But thankfully, that is changing. Today, the future is ours to build. We are the ones who now have the chance to imagine things differently and to shape a new legacy. And whatever happens next, one major change is already becoming clear. Unlike the physical world that we inherited, the structures of tomorrow are going to tell the story that women were here.
Already, that new built environment is going up all around us, at breakneck pace.
We are witnessing one of the biggest construction booms in modern history. According to a 2024 World Economic Forum report, over the next 40 years, the world will build the equivalent of an entire New York City every single month.
Some of those projects have the potential to influence and improve people’s lives in ways that would have been hard to imagine just a few decades ago.
These future projects will demand a greater range of talent than ever before. And that is creating the kind of jobs and career opportunities where women can make their mark.
In the U.S., women account for about 10 percent of those employed in the construction industry. By comparison, women now make up nearly 30 percent of Bechtel’s U.S. workforce. And we’re working hard to drive that number higher still.
So, what about you? Where might you fit in?
Every building project starts with a why. A problem to be solved. A challenge to be overcome.
I believe the choice to become an engineer also starts with a why. Anyone who is attracted to this field wants, at some level, for their work to have purpose and make a difference in the world.
I’m here to assure you that whatever kind of change you want to make, construction has a place for your passion. And that’s just as true for a mid-career professional as it is for someone who is starting out.
As one of our female engineers put it, “There are so many different jobs in this business that any skill set is useful.”
Perhaps the biggest problem our industry currently faces is a shortfall of labor. It’s big and getting bigger.
Engineering talent, in particular, is in short supply. A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group and SAE International projected that by 2030 — just six years from now — one-third of U.S. engineering jobs will go unfilled. The authors warned that this growing gap “puts the progress of important industries at risk and threatens to have a tremendous negative impact on the economy.”
Not a pretty picture.
However, in the construction industry, that abundance of job openings means demand for talent is high across the board. Opportunities abound for both project engineers and what we call “craft professionals” — the skilled tradespeople who do the hands-on building work.
In fact, the craft industry is where we see the greatest potential for change. Young engineers often think design is how you really make your mark. But there’s no better way to make an immediate impact than working where the boots hit the ground.
Alex Beletic, one of Bechtel’s field engineers, finds working on a construction site to be a unique and satisfying experience. “Running a construction site is like running a small country. Everyone is needed and everyone has a role,” she says. “And what’s really rewarding is there’s a positive feedback loop you don’t experience in any other field. The choices you make have tangible consequences that unfold right in front of you. First, you make a decision about a project, and then you physically see it come to life.”
Alex can’t get enough of that sort of gratification, and companies like ours can’t get enough of women like her.
No doubt you’ve heard the phrase “the future is female.” It’s a catchy slogan. But for engineering and construction, it is also a cold hard fact.
Bringing more women into the engineering and construction orbit is essential to the success of the industry. It’s not just “nice to have” anymore. It’s a business imperative.
The reason is simple: There aren’t enough men in the labor pool to meet all the demand.
Right now, women make up 47 percent of the U.S. workforce, but only 4 percent of the craft workforce.
Yet the U.S. government’s own estimates forecast that every year — for the next 10 years — there will be 70,000 job openings for electricians, 80,000 job openings for carpenters, and 40,000 job openings for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.
Not only do we need women in those jobs, but we also need women to take on the field engineer and supervisor roles necessary to direct the work. That’s a door that can be hard to see for engineers outside the industry. But it’s definitely one that women like you can walk through. Now, it’s true that construction has long been a male-dominated field, with an unspoken assumption that building sites are not a place for women. But all that is changing quickly, both in terms of personal attitudes and the practical obstacles that can make it harder for women to succeed in construction jobs.
So, if you’re concerned that being a woman in this industry means you run the risk of being marginalized, know this: Today’s companies can’t afford it. And neither can the teams they deploy.
I won’t deny that there’s still plenty of room for improvement, particularly in structuring jobs that allow for motherhood and child development.
But there’s no question the environment will continue to progress. Because it has to.
Past engineering accomplishments offer a glimpse into our history and help to inspire the future. As you reflect on those past accomplishments, think about what inspired you and the legacy you want to leave behind.
At Bechtel, we have a saying: “A better future doesn’t just happen. It has to be built.” We’re also proud to say that “we live for a challenge.”
Just as in the ancient past, there are big problems out there that need to be solved, and big projects that need to be successful — both for the benefit of us here today, and the generations to come. And this time women will have the satisfaction of knowing they helped make it happen. They created that impact.
Somebody’s going to do it. My question is: Why not you?
Let’s go build our future.
