‘Construction can be intimidating if you don’t fit certain stereotypes’

Diversity and inclusion advocate Jessica Loney has made it her mission to amplify the voices of underrepresented people and groups in construction.

She describes previously feeling a sense of “hopelessness and disappointment” at the status quo in the Canadian construction industry regarding inclusivity.

“Myself and six other like-minded individuals decided that enough was enough, and started to make some noise in our local construction industry, both online and on the job sites, which turned into a full blown grassroots movement.”

Loney, who is an electrical safety codes officer, describes the founding group as the “misfits” of the industry, who were not entirely sure how to help drive inclusion, but knew they had to do something.

The Pride in Construction event was born, aimed at celebrating the LGBTQ+ construction community in Calgary and Southern Alberta, as well as sharing best practice for attracting, retaining and advancing a diverse and inclusive workforce.

“We put a call out through various forms of social media and managed to get a global response with [LGBTQ+] individuals writing about both their successes and hardships with working in the skilled trades,” she says.

“We then showcased these along with other examples through various forms of media.”

Since the inaugural year of Pride in Construction, it has evolved into a structured committee. It is part of parent society DiversiTrade Resource and Connection Centre, a registered not-for-profit that helps advance and support diversity in the skilled trades and wider construction industry.

DiversiTrade, also co-founded by Loney, offers resources for organisations and information for underrepresented communities in the skilled trades.

The society has worked and partnered with a range of organisations across Canada, including the Office to Advance Women Apprentices Alberta, Women Building Futures, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Pride at Work Canada.

“For a lot of us, construction can be intimidating and not seen as an accepting work environment unless you fit certain stereotypes,” Loney says.

The industry can help to address this issue by showcasing more success stories from underrepresented groups, she adds.

“This would further the recruitment rates of some incredibly talented, yet often overlooked demographics.”

However, Loney acknowledges that the culture of inclusion in the skilled trades is starting to shift for the better.

“We are seeing better resource groups, policies and best practices being developed throughout the industry, which is being driven by a lot of inter-organisational collaboration and think-tanks,” she says.

“This isn’t just a local gathering of like-minded organisations; [this progress] spans the globe.”

Illustrating this global collaboration, CIOB is partnering with DiversiTrade and Procore Technologies to deliver a webinar session on 28 March aimed at strengthening the understanding of LGBTQ+ issues in construction.

The session, titled Inclusivity in the Skilled Trades, will also provide best practice for fostering inclusive work environments.

Loney, who will be joining the panel of speakers, has first-hand experience of how challenging construction careers can be for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

As a transgender woman, Loney says she has found working in the industry “incredibly difficult” at times.

“When I first became authentic as myself… there was a lot of misunderstanding and harassment that followed me [at work],” she says. “From simple graffiti in the stairwells of construction sites, to having my washroom destroyed, and even going as far as to leave cups of urine on my equipment.

“But beyond the harassment came the loss of any privilege that I held as a man in the industry.

“Prior to coming out, I would be able to walk onto any job site as a site supervisor with an experienced history of large-scale projects, and have my voice heard and respected without any hesitation or questioning [of] my competency.

“After becoming congruent with my body and mind, that male privilege disappeared and was replaced with doubt and overlooking past achievements.”

Loney explains that she had to prove herself “time and time again”, no longer receiving the automatic approval and respect that had previously been freely given.

“I always found it fascinating, given my position, being able to see and experience both sides of the ‘gendered coin’,” she adds.

Loney considered leaving the industry completely as the harassment and negative attitudes began to affect her mental health and wellbeing.

However, she refused to give in: “I just kept reminding myself that there are others out there going through similar situations, and that I couldn’t just let ‘them’ win.”

“After all of this struggle, it’s been incredibly rewarding for so many reasons, but most of all to give a positive representation and hope for the ‘community’ in the skilled trades.”

In light of her experience, Loney is urging industry leaders to commit to a campaign centred around the promotion of inclusion in construction.

“Progress is always going to be a hard-fought battle, but it is so easily taken for granted and lost,” Loney says.

“Invest in your communications department that showcases your branding as inclusive; invest both time and resources into your employee resource groups and committees; and show those questioning ‘if construction is the right place to work’ that it is, in fact, a great way to have meaningful and safe employment regardless of your gender, ethnicity or sexuality.”   

And for construction professionals from underrepresented groups, Loney’s advice is clear: “Never change who you are as a person to try and gain the respect of those you work with.

“You are enough, and you deserve to be recognised for your skills and talents regardless of others’ ill-formed opinions or misconceptions.”

She advises construction professionals to find other like-minded people within their organisations and create their own community.

Employee resource groups (ERGs), for example, can “help build morale within your organisation and give a great sense of belonging and mutual respect with other individuals”, she says.

Concurrently, Loney insists it is important to engage with people who “are not understanding of the struggles marginalised communities go through”.

“By educating those who don’t recognise or respect our very different and unique struggles, it can open the door to understanding and acceptance.”

Find more information and register for the Inclusivity in the Skilled Trades webinar here.