Women make up nearly half of the United States workforce, according to Pew Research. However, they still remain highly underrepresented in the skilled trade industry. A recent ‘Women in the Workplace’ study found that 40 percent of women in technical roles are the only women in the room at work. A lack of female role models, misconceptions of what it is like to work in a technical field and narrowly targeted recruitment efforts all contribute to the underrepresentation of women in technical careers.

Through several ongoing initiatives launched in recent years, including the Next Chapter Program, Johnson Controls is at the forefront of bridging this gender gap. We are committed to increasing representation, development, inclusion and advancement of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. We also recently teamed up with Lincoln Tech to provide students, both male and female, with hands-on technical training in an effort to build the future workforce. Together, we are taking steps to educate and empower women to join skilled trades and diversify the workforce.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2019, Johnson Controls and Lincoln Tech held an International Women’s Day celebration at Lincoln Tech’s Shelton, CT location. The event featured guest speakers, including Betty Baisden, Kim Strafford, Mike Laughlin and Cheryl Benanti, who discussed the partnership and career opportunities available to women. Students were able to explore Lincoln Tech’s innovative skilled trades programs giving them a chance to discover an interest they may have never known they had. The event demonstrated that with the right training, women are equally as capable as men to succeed in a career in skilled trades.

With nearly 2 million technical roles expected to go unfilled in the coming years, building a diverse, inclusive and skilled workforce of the future is a priority for Johnson Controls and Lincoln Tech. On International Women’s Day (March 8), Johnson Controls will be hosting a global webinar to celebrate women’s achievements and discuss the importance of diversifying the workforce.