Get Girls Engaged Early – Erin’s Story
Erin was fortunate to have a mother who worked as a Quality Control Manager for a housing manufacturing company, giving her early exposure to construction and carpentry skills at home. Anecdotally, such early experiences make a difference—when girls see role models and engage with these skills early on, they’re more likely to consider careers in construction. For Erin, this ignited a passion for opening doors for young women, giving them hands-on experience and education about the many opportunities in construction, helping them discover a rewarding career path.
Although she is in a marketing role, Erin serves on the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation’s board. Their Build Your Future (BYF) program is all about encouraging youth across the state to explore and pursue fulfilling careers in the construction industry with BYF Construction Clubs and her favorite, the BYF Girls Construction Camp, which aligns perfectly with her passions.
Browning was proud to be a sponsor of the BYF Girls Camp Construction Club where participants built picnic tables, worked on electrical kits, tried their hand at masonry, poured concrete, explored engineering careers, and visited real construction job sites, including Browning’s Vanguard at 16 Tech multifamily project. You can read more about Browning’s engagement with last year’s Camp and see photos from their site tour of Browning’s Vanguard at 16 Tech multifamily project here.
Her advice for supporting Women in Construction?
Be an advocate. Bring opportunities for your workplace to engage.
Many companies are looking for meaningful ways to give back, and employees often have a say in what causes their organization supports. Be the voice that champions construction-focused initiatives for young women. Whether it’s sponsoring a construction camp, hosting a job site tour, funding scholarships, or supporting workforce development programs, your advocacy can open doors for the next generation. Start the conversation within your company, connect leadership with local programs, and help create lasting partnerships that expose more young women to the trades. If no one else is bringing these ideas to the table, let it be you.
Share resources. Your connections can open doors for others.
You might be surprised by how many people, programs, and opportunities are already within your network. Whether it’s introducing a student to a mentor, sharing information about apprenticeships, or connecting schools with industry professionals, small actions can lead to big changes. Keep an eye out for ways to bridge gaps, foster new relationships, and spread awareness—because sometimes, all it takes is one introduction or piece of advice to change the course of someone’s career.
Encourage curiosity. Every small interaction has the potential to spark something big.
Not every effort needs to be a large-scale initiative—sometimes, it’s the simplest experiences that leave the biggest impact. Encouraging a young woman to pick up a tool, ask a question, or visit a job site can ignite an interest in construction she never knew she had. A single conversation, hands-on experience, or positive interaction with the industry can plant the seed for a lifelong career. Be the person who invites, encourages, and inspires—because you never know when a small moment will turn into a life-changing passion.
