Construction Equipment Guide
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Thu March 21, 2024 - National Edition #7
Women's History Month celebrates the contributions women have made in all fields and industries, and the award-winning ConExpo-Con/AGG Podcast highlights some of the women breaking barriers and reshaping the conversation of women in construction.
Amy Underwood, widely recognized as the_digger_girl, spoke with ConExpo-Con/AGG Podcast host Taylor White. Underwood, a single mother of two, discussed topics like her journey within the industry, working against traditional stereotypes in the field, and the unique challenges women face in balancing motherhood and a career.
Hailing from Scotland, Underwood spoke on her focus of educating girls on the career opportunities within the industry.
"I honestly think we need to get into schools from a younger age and know that a job in construction is a job opportunity for boys or girls," said Underwood during the recording.
Underwood encouraged the industry to share its stories with budding professionals from a younger age. She also highlighted how social media has been a positive way to inspire and connect with a younger audience to show them these opportunities.
Recently, White interviewed another prominent female figure in the construction industry. Katie Kelleher, aka "Katie Cranes", spoke on her journey to becoming a crane operator and technical development officer. Kelleher's passion of raising awareness for women in the trades.
"With social media, I just noticed when I googled "crane operator," it was all men. It was all men. Plasterer, plumber, painter, whatever, all guys. And I thought, "We need to flood images out there, I need to get more images of women doing different things out there."
ConExpo-Con/AGG celebrated Women in Construction Week by spotlighting inspiring stories like these and delving into the unique challenges encountered by women in the industry.
The ConExpo-Con/AGG Podcast has featured deep conversations on the construction industry and its equipment and technology since its launch in 2016. Episodes are available to watch on YouTube or the ConExpo-Con/AGG website, and listen to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.