- Division of Occupational Licensure
This month, Women’s History Month, we would like to celebrate strong women working in public service and construction. Louise Vera and Brianna Skowyra are two women who have successful careers in the trades and a long tenure with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation’s Division of Occupational Licensure. Both have had to prove themselves in a field dominated by men.
Louise Vera started her career in trades in 1978. Raised in New Bedford, Louise left college and enrolled in the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) “Women in Construction” project spearheaded by President Carter with the goal of offering women and minorities jobs on federally funded construction sites. Louise joined the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL) in 1997 as the first female hired in a state building inspector position.
Brianna Skowyra comes from a line of carpenters. At first, she didn't know what her career path would be. Brianna called her dad to ask him for a job, so she could work while figuring out a career direction-- and then was surprised that she actually loved the work. In April 2020, she started working as a state building inspector with DOL.
What is the greatest achievement in your career?
Louise: Sticking with it. Because it wasn't easy. Being the first female is quite a bit of what I did in life. As well as in my carpentry career. It was a really tough position. People asked, isn't that a hard job? And I would say no. The job isn't hard. Working with men is hard, because they didn't want me there. So, I wasn't going to quit because I knew it was important for other women to see me there, as an encouragement to join themselves. And now that I'm a state inspector, I run into some of the men that I had to work with. When I started, I've been with the department for 27 years, I was a state inspector inspecting work on the projects that I had worked on with some of those men.
Brianna: My greatest achievement? Well, I've built a lot of really cool things while I was working with my dad. It's fun to drive by a house and show my children and tell them that's a house I built or a project that I did. But I also feel that making it to the state level and being involved in some really great projects is fun and a great accomplishment as well.
What does a typical day at work look like? And what is your favorite part or task?
Louise: The fact that there's nothing typical about it. Every day, every hour, is different from the last day and hour. There's nothing typical, I could be answering a phone call from a homeowner who has questions about building codes with a local inspector to answering a phone call about a permit that I have with the state. It could be responding to an emergency or doing a plan review. It's something different all the time, every hour, every day. And that's what I like most about my job.
Brianna: My favorite part of my job is that every day is different. It varies constantly, so sometimes I'm in the field on job sites, doing inspections, and sometimes I'm at home doing plan reviews and code research and it's the variety that I enjoy the most because there's no sense of monotony.
How do you think your career has been different as a woman? What would you say are the challenges for a woman in your field?
Louise: The challenges are not really as a State Inspector. The challenges came as a carpenter as it was hard getting work. It was difficult because I was not being assigned enough work to get through my apprenticeship program. And then it was challenging getting along with everybody, because they didn't want me there and as a state inspector. Men would often say things about me behind my back and not to me directly There are very few women in the carpentry field. They're starting to show up in other professional field like engineering, but there are very few female workers using tools.
Brianna: I think that one of the biggest challenges for women in the industry is the fact that it's assumed that men on jobs know what they're doing, whereas women in the industry always have to prove themselves. I hope that as time goes on, and more and more women join the industry, that this culture will begin to change.
In your opinion why should more women get into the skilled trades?
Louise: I have to say I really appreciate the fact that my own department has two other women in it and that is wonderful. I've never worked with other women as a carpenter. I always worked with men, even if other women were there. So, the more women that are there, the more opportunity it is for us to work with each other and support one another. I feel it is very important to hire women and keep them in the trades So, that we can support each other.
Brianna: I think that more women should go into the skilled trades because it's very engaging. It's very rewarding. I'm actually writing another article on women in construction for a different publication, and one of the things that I’ve talked with other women about is the fact that it's a tangible field. So, we see results of our work at the end of every day and that's very rewarding. That, coupled with being able to do different things every day, and being able to be outside on nice days and not necessarily having to be stuck in an office are some of the positive benefits to being a woman in a in a construction related industry.
Why do you think there are so few women in the industry?
Louise: Because women are not supported in the industry. We don't encourage women to get into the industry and, we don't encourage men to accept women or teach us the trade. I remember when I was in school with boys, and they were taught and learned things that I didn't learn because they wouldn't teach me.
Brianna: I think because women don't realize that it's something that they can do, we're still stuck in what societal expectations are of us. People tend to go into careers that it's assumed that they're going to go into rather than challenge themselves or step outside of societal norms.
On being a woman in a male-dominated industry, what do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?
Louise: Sexism.
Brianna: I think the perception of women in the industry, but that's changing over time. It used to be much worse and actually I feel like I run into very few people who have a negative perception of women in the industry nowadays. So those barriers are slowly starting to dissolve.
In your opinion what would be the future of women in the industry?
Louise: More women coming up through the ranks. From an apprentice to a journey person, to a foreman, to a supervisor.
Brianna: I'd love to see the numbers of women in skilled trades increase. They already are. When I started in the industry, there was almost no women, and now there is always at least one or two on every job. So, I would like to see those numbers increase and I'd like to see more younger girls give it a try because you know they can do it and it can be a really rewarding and fulfilling career and very fruitful financially. So, I'd love to see more girls and women try it.
What advice do you have for women looking to get in the industry?
Louise: It's a great profession, a very solid career. There's work out there, you will be paid well, it's very rewarding work, and You can do it on the side. You can always pick up work no matter where you go. I would encourage women to join for that reason for themselves and then to join for each other.
Brianna: My advice would be don't be intimidated. If you think you would like to try it, give it a try because people are very receptive to having women on job sites in all the different trades. I've talked to carpenters and other women in other areas of skilled trades and the pushback is disappearing. If they are interested, they should reach out to somebody, even me, as a mentor, to try to learn more about it because It's a great field to get into.
Inspired to Join the Trades?
For women—and anyone—thinking about a career in the trades, consider becoming an apprentice. Apprenticeship programs help job seekers succeed in new careers and help employers build a loyal, skilled workforce.
Pictured above from left to right: Louise Vera, Adelle Reynolds, and Brianna Skowyra all have successful careers in the trades and a long tenure with the Division of Occupational Licensure.