Pinellas County Schools holds first-ever construction camp for girls

SEMINOLE, Fla. - Fueled by the statistic from a 2023 Bureau Labor of Statistics report that women make up only 10.8% of the construction workforce, Pinellas County Schools entered the summer with the goal of raising that number. 

"We have a shortage of tradespeople in construction, and it's all over the country. We do not have enough people signing up to be electricians, to be framers, to be HVAC guys," said Christine Ferry, the president of the National Association of Women in Construction Tampa (NAWIC). 

The school district partnered with NAWIC to hold its first-ever girls-only construction camp at Richard O. Jacobson Technical High School. 

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"They're learning about all the different kinds of construction that there are. We've had architects in. We've had engineers in. We've had field people in," Ferry said.

The four-day camp highlights different areas of construction each day: Framing, concrete, electrical and drywall. The kids are also helping build picnic benches that will be donated to Habitat For Humanity. 

"I like building stuff. I just like seeing it all come together from the very start of it and then the process of it and then finally getting to see the end result of it," 13-year-old camper Nova Comey said. 

Comey aspires to be an interior designer, and she said she’s enjoyed hammering and learning how to use spin saws. 

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"It's very hands-on, and I think that's the main thing that I wanted to make sure these young ladies can experience. I want them to feel those tools, use those tools, be comfortable with those tools," Ferry said. 

Both organizers and students hope to end the stereotype that construction is a man’s job. 

"The idea is change the message, change the experience, and once that happens, you do a little by little, it catches on," Ferry said. 

Pinellas County Schools and NAWIC hope to hold the camp every year. 

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