Thread by @RickSmithShow

Liliana Calderon: It was dumb luck that I became a bricklayer--I was in the right place at the right time. I was doing service industry work & came across a group that helps women get into nontraditional jobs for women.
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Liliana Calderon: I did my apprenticeship & loved it; it's been a great path for me.
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Liliana Calderon: Some of my friends went to college & aren't working in the field they studied. I tell them to go into the trades--it's free training, I make good money, and at the end I'll get a pension. I was able to buy my own home, too.
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Liliana Calderon: Only 9% of construction workers are women. We built a community of women in the Bricklayers, the BAC Sisters R.I.S.E. group (Resource, Inclusion, Success, and Empowerment) to help each other & address any problems on the job.
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Rick: I know union worksites are much safer than non-union worksites.
Liliana Calderon: Not using proper safety equipment, especially if you're working more than 10 feet above ground, is dangerous.
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Liliana Calderon: I've only been out of the field a year after working in the field for 14 years--I still fill the aches & pains. It can be rough being the only woman on the jobsite but there are groups to help women through the trades.
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Liliana:I'd tell women:You have to love what you do. There's a sense of pride knowing the work you do is yours. Each day is a new learning experience & a chance to improve. It's tough in the world, no matter what career you choose.Your male counterparts will help you, too.
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Liliana Calderon: I love to point out to my friends the projects I've worked on. There's such a sense of pride & accomplishment.
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Liliana Calderon: The more inclusive we are, & the more we put women in leadership roles, the more the bricklayers will be seen as not just a man's trade.
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For more information, visit the Bricklayers & Allied Crafts website:
bacweb.org
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