TAMPA, Fla. — While construction has historically been a male dominated industry, women are also stepping up to the plate to fill those roles.
What You Need To Know
Leslie is working to get more women in construction and teach them how it can lead to other opportunities
These days, one in 10 construction workers are women, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With a hard hat on, Leslie Macao Velez is ready to take on the day.
She and her husband own Dimac Solutions, a construction company they started in 2023.
Leslie says it was a chance to try something new, after immigrating from Ecuador 10 years ago.
“Construction has always been a form of art for me, I’m creating something,” she said.
She started on the administrative side of things but has since made her way into the field.
She loves being hands on with projects, but has also grown into a leadership role, and she’s not alone — she’s among more than one million women working in construction, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
While it’s a growing workforce, Leslie says there can be challenges. “Sometimes being a woman and arriving to a site where there are only men who have years of experience can be intimidating when they might only see you as a contractor for the job, not someone that is leading the project.”
That’s why she’s working from the ground up, to make sure other women entering the field don’t feel alone.
She teaches construction courses at Enterprising Latinas three times a week, covering topics like OSHA safety and introduction to math in construction.
“Construction isn’t just about your strength and knowing how to hammer, but it’s also about knowing how to lead the administrative side of a company.”
The National Association of Home Builders found most women in construction are in office and administrative roles.
That’s why programs like this matter — inspiring students like Diolexes Nuñez to get into the industry. “It’s not only a job for men but it shows women that they also have the opportunity to grow and advance in this field with men.”
Nuñez is taking this course to launch her own interior design and construction company, which is something she once never thought was possible.
While there might be more men than women on the job site, Leslie wants to use her own success to inspire more women.
“For me every inch of this work is a dream, it’s a new opportunity where we can continue to grow,” said Leslie.
Building a path for the next generation of women to take their place in a world of hard hats and steel toed boots.
The classes are offered through Enterprising Latinas. There will also be a one-day green energy in construction training offered on April 18.