More women needed in the construction industry in Bell County

At Texas First Rentals in Belton, Valerie manages a diverse team of 15 men, ranging in age from their 20's to 60's.

According to her team, under her leadership, the stores she has managed have broken records for equipment on rent and doubled in size.

• Valerie Niver manages 15 men
• Women only make up 10.8 percent of the construction industry
• CTC offers Trade certifications and degrees

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

"Skid steers are super handy that's probably my favorite thing to drive around the yard — I love telehandlers also they are very easy to maneuver," said Valerie Niver, Branch Manager, Texas First Rentals.

Valerie Niver is on a piece of construction equipment as the branch manager at Texas first rentals in Belton — making her way in a male-dominated industry managing 15 men.

She has been employed by the company for four years renting equipment for contractors but she doesn't see a lot of women in the industry.

"Having so many different perspectives and different personalities — it's interesting, and it's also helped me become a better person," Niver said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women only make up 10.8 percent of the construction industry.

"The average income for us is above the medium," Niver said.

They say the low number is influenced by a lack of role models and mentorship, but for Valerie, it was different her husband played a large impact as she worked her way into service writing.

"Then from there the manager I had at the time he was also my mentor, Seth," she said.

"He actually took me under his wing and showed me how to run the rental counter."

According to CTC in 2023 to 2024, 17 females out of 247 males enrolled under the construction trade, compared to this year only three females and 41 males.

"Next week the number will be different," said Dr. Melissa E. Gonzalez, Department Chair for Industrial Industry.

As of now, the college is not seeing a steady increase in women enrolling and can only anticipate the enrollment to grow to over 17 for women and more men as the semester continues.

The mix of classes includes carpentry, construction, and building for certification or a craftsman associate degree offering an OSA award — as they are hoping for the number to continue climbing to push more women in trades and construction.

"A student can get all the basics and then he can make a macro to go and work for these builders and subcontractors," said Earnest Finney, Professor of Program Coordinator for the Building Trades Program.

Classes start every Monday at CTC for anyone thinking about enrolling, you can get a tour of the construction facility Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To contact the school, click here .

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