International Women in Engineering Day
Culture
To mark Women’s History Month this year, Pomerleau and Borea Construction devised an engaging new social media series.
Entitled Build like a Girl, the ongoing LinkedIn campaign profiles a dozen of our talented, determined female colleagues across a broad range of occupations, teams and Canadian locations. In their own words, these women summarize their professional journeys, offer advice to young women considering a career in construction and renewable energy, and offer their own vision of what the future holds for these sectors.
Shining a spotlight on excellence
Our campaign seeks to shine a spotlight on these employees’ broad range of skills and abilities, and the excellence of their contributions to our company. By doing so, we hope to help #BreakTheBias that women in our industry still face to this day.
While attitudes and mindsets have evolved over the years, there’s still work to do to ensure construction jobsites, offices and executive suites are more welcoming and inclusive. Over the years, women have proven that they not only belong in our industry, but they also contribute tremendously to its overall growth and development.
As Nabila Sharieff, one of the women featured in the series notes, “Women are moving forward in every part of the construction industry today, and I expect this trend will only grow. I see women creating fresh, inclusive designs, building more collaborative teams, and managing with greater empathy.”
Nurturing innovation through inclusion and diversity
There are other reasons to encourage more women to join our industry. At Pomerleau, we’re committed to driving innovation in the construction and renewable energy sectors. So much of our success in this area is due to our extraordinary people, and the creative, forward-thinking mindset they bring to their projects each and every day.
We work in an industry that’s been crucial to human progress for thousands of years – so it can be tempting to rely on tried-and-true ways to get things done. But to continue driving innovation, we must put greater emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness.
To us, these are more than just buzzwords. When we encourage fresh perspectives and different voices, we also generate new ideas and new ways of thinking. This is where true breakthroughs occurs, and we truly begin to tap into our creativity and innovation.
The rewards of diversity are innumerable. Valérie Charette summarized them well. “I honestly think women are the future of construction. Our way of thinking is different from that of men, which is a strength. Our meticulousness and determination have been central to the success of many projects.”
For her part, Raquelle Ouimet believes this focus on diversity will pay dividends not just for Pomerleau, but for our entire industry. “With more women encouraged to pursue the trades and study in STEM, I see plenty of great opportunities for women and a more gender-diverse workplace being created.”
Our values at work
In the end, it all comes down to our Pomerleau core values. If we want to be truly innovative, adaptable and authentic, we must strive to be as inclusive as possible. And that means creating a more welcoming space so that women feel heard, included and valued within our company.
Finally, Emmanuelle Gervais-Cadrin captured the essence of our objectives around diversity. “It’s so enriching for an organization to have a diverse and inclusive environment, especially with a greater number of women in traditionally male positions and in leadership positions. We must be open and continue to actively promote the presence of women in construction, including renewable energy construction projects, in all departments and at all organizational levels.”
Happy Women’s History Month!
Our warmest thanks to Valérie Charrette, Emmanuelle Gervais-Cadrin, Raquelle Ouimet, and Nabila Sharieff for contributing their thoughts to this post.
