WHEREAS, In 1987, Congress declared March as national Women’s History Month in perpetuity and this year industry has designated the first week of March to celebrate women in construction; and

WHEREAS, The focus of Women in Construction Week is to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry; and

WHEREAS, The continuous progress of our economy requires full participation and support of all citizens, regardless of gender, race, or ethnic background; and

WHEREAS, The workforce in California is becoming increasingly diversified and for this state’s construction industry to remain competitive in the global economy, it must also diversify its workforce by attracting significantly more women into the industry; and

WHEREAS, Women currently occupy only 10% of all apprenticeships and less than 3% of construction trade jobs nationally. As a state we should support policy efforts to achieve at least 20% by 2020; and

WHEREAS, The construction industry in California has tremendous need for skilled and motivated workers, managers, and entrepreneurs from all segments of the population; and

WHEREAS, The construction industry must strive to educate and inspire parents, educators, and career counselors to encourage California’s youth to enter into rewarding career opportunities in construction; and

WHEREAS, Rising costs of higher education and evolving employer workforce training needs make apprenticeship an increasingly important career pathway without the burden of student loans; and

WHEREAS, Women have historically been excluded from apprenticeship opportunities that lead to meaningful careers with family-supporting wages; and

WHEREAS, Apprenticeship is a critical pathway for women to participate fully and equally in California’s growing economy; and

WHEREAS, The development of women-owned business enterprises will benefit all members of the workforce through the creation of meaningful and productive jobs; and

WHEREAS, Women entrepreneurs and small business owners operating in the construction industry could benefit greatly from the experiences, technical services, and support established by more women in the workforce; and

WHEREAS, The Federation of California Builders Exchanges, the Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange Education Foundation and the California Association of Women in Construction, along with other industry partners, agree to encourage women to pursue construction as a career they can build on, to continue to support formal programs that will have a significant impact on the successful integration of women into the construction industry, and to provide women entrepreneurs with the skills necessary to ensure their success in the competitive marketplace; now, therefore, be it