{"id":9,"date":"2019-09-30T01:05:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T01:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinacat.webpagefxstage.com\/construction\/?p=9"},"modified":"2024-05-28T12:41:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T12:41:38","slug":"all-female-paving-crew-crushes-stereotypes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carolinacat.webpagefxstage.com\/construction\/all-female-paving-crew-crushes-stereotypes\/","title":{"rendered":"All-Female Paving Crew Crushes Stereotypes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"For a company whose roots date back to 1747, Maymead Inc. has taken a decidedly progressive approach to hiring \u2014 employing what may be the first all-female paving crew in the nation and opening the construction industry\u2019s eyes to an untapped market of potential workers.
\nIt all started in the summer of 2018, when the asphalt construction services provider was short a couple of operators on the night shift. Mary Katherine Harbin, area manager for the Tennessee-based company, volunteered to help out.
\n\u201cI went out that night and ran a paver \u2014 a 1055 on a four-lane road \u2014 and it was the most empowering feeling,\u201d she says. \u201cThen I looked around and said, \u2018If I can do it, and I have a degree in English, anybody can do this if they want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning Inspiration into Action<\/b><\/h2>\n

Inspired by her experience at a recent Caterpillar Women in Leadership Conference, frustrated by the fact that Maymead was struggling to fill open positions and armed with the knowledge that women make up just 2% of the employee base in construction, Harbin took action.<\/p>\n

She began running ads geared toward women, making it clear that paving experience wasn\u2019t a requirement to be hired. She also played up the \u201cwomen only\u201d aspect of the crew, believing it would help applicants feel less intimidated about taking on something new.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to know anything about what we do,\u201d Harbin says. \u201cWe will train you. We can train anybody that\u2019s willing to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

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