Building career in construction possible for women too

HOUSE RULES: Pamela House, senior accountant at Gilbane Building Co., says companies and programs need to begin talking about alternative career paths as early as middle school. / COURTESY GILBANE
HOUSE RULES: Pamela House, senior accountant at Gilbane Building Co., says companies and programs need to begin talking about alternative career paths as early as middle school. / COURTESY GILBANE

Pamela House considers herself lucky to have found someone willing to take a chance and offer her a foot in the door to a lifelong career when she was a single mother in the late 1970s, with only a part-time job and no real job training.
That the career happened to be in construction was even more unheard of for women than it may be today. But House relished the opportunity to make her way up the chain at Gilbane Building Company, where she works as a senior accountant.
In September she was awarded the Crystal Achievement Award from the National Association of Women in Construction, an organization she has belonged to for close to 20 years. She has held several leadership roles with the group, including on its board of directors.

PBN: Why do you think women might be reluctant to consider a career in the construction industry?
House: Because there’s the stereotypical digging the ditch [assumption about the work] and not realizing the full range of possibilities that there are. This industry is about a lot more, everything from architects to accountants to IT. Right now, there’s a revolution in the construction industry and the technology is incredible. It’s incredible the amount of knowledge that [you need] for this job. I’d like to see more women in the trades and there’s really no reason there shouldn’t be. The days of women not being [able] to be out in the field are gone.

PBN: But are there some job functions women cannot do, simply because of size and strength?
House: That’s up to them. There’s a lot of women who can do some physical stuff better than some guys. [But] no one is expecting someone to do a job they can’t do. As long as you can keep up, the days of physical limitations are over. It’s hard to attract the next generation to the trades, because it’s a different animal today. Maybe the reason is a lot of young people have been behind a computer all their lives. Girls in nontraditional trades are an age-old problem. That’s why [someone] encouraged me to think outside the box. I do believe that afforded me to work my way up in the time when the industry was growing.

PBN: Have you had to overcome any challenges as a woman in a male-dominated industry during your career?
House: Oh my God, yes. It’s far out what went on out there 30 years ago as opposed to now. It’s like night and day. I have war stories. I got the bug early and fought like heck to get out of the office and onto a site. It took five years. But someone gave me a chance. There always has to be someone along the way to lift someone up. Bosses also need to think outside the box. If anything, that’s gotten worse with the job market so tight and having 150 resumes for one job. We had one young girl come out of college and they sent [her to a site.] She came back and said she wouldn’t use [a portable bathroom.] It took another year and a half for them to send [another woman] out because of that.

PBN: How did you deal with these challenges?
House: You just have to be honest and true to yourself. If something doesn’t feel right, you have to talk about it and find someone to be your champion. Everyone at Gilbane today when they come in, they are assigned a mentor and I would recommend that practice to any company. We didn’t have a lot of role models as young women and today that’s gotten better. You need to talk to people and we’re forgetting how to do that. It’s gotten out of control. I would just encourage people to speak up, don’t be afraid and trust your gut. … If you push me in a corner, I’m coming out fighting.

PBN: Employers say there are no skilled workers and those seeking jobs say there aren’t any. What more can we do to encourage young adults to think outside the box for their careers?
House: I think [companies and programs] need to do a better job, even in middle school, talking about different career paths.

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PBN: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?
House: I know it sounds schmaltzy, but honest to God, knowing that I was able to raise and educate my daughters … I’m really, really proud I was able to do that. … I’m a very loyal and dedicated employee. It’s because of the Gilbane values. Their values are my values. What I love the most about what I do is getting people paid. I really appreciate what the people do to get the buildings built.

PBN: How do you feel Rhode Island works toward advancing women in business leadership?
House: I have women friends who own businesses satisfactorily and I like working to help them get more work. There are agencies that are supposed to be doing the same and I just think Rhode Island has some issues to deal with financially that puts us at a disadvantage. When times get tight, I would probably guess [those programs] are first to go.

PBN: How do you feel you personally promote the role of women in construction?
House: I’ve done workshops on job sites and invited all the minority and women business owners to come in. I’ve always pushed to get more women businesses involved. You’re empowering the whole family from an individual level. •

INTERVIEW
Pamela House
Position: Senior accountant, Gilbane Building Co.
Background: After moving to Rhode Island in the early 1970s, House, as a young wife and mother, worked for the Blackstone Valley Community Action Program. There she met a mentor who, when House divorced several years later, led her to Gilbane Building Company, a Providence design and build company. House began there as a junior accounts-payable accountant and has gone on to work on such projects as the Warwick Intermodal Station at T.F. Green International Airport.
Education: Various training and certifications at several area schools, including Brown University and Bryant University
First Job: Counselor/superintendent for the Blackstone Valley Community Action Program
Residence: Pawtucket
Age: 59

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