CINCINNATI — Women make up just 11.5% of the commercial construction workforce in the Cincinnati region, and a local trade association is working to change that.
Allied Construction Industries, known as ACI, hosted the 2026 ACI She Builds Camp from June 22-26 at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati's Western & Southern Workforce Development Center.
The free, five-day camp gave girls ages 13-18 hands-on exposure to careers in construction and the skilled trades.
Brittney Cousins, director of workforce solutions at ACI, said the camp serves as one of the first real entry points into that world for young women.
"The actual initiative is designed to attract, develop and retain girls and women in construction. So She Builds Camp is actually one of the first introductions into the industry. So the girls get an opportunity to explore what the careers look like, and actually get an immersive take as to what these different careers can look like," Cousins said.
Each day of camp featured rotation stations led by female professionals from ACI member companies, giving campers exposure to trades including carpentry, plastering, electrical, plumbing and HVAC.
"During the course of the camp, the girls get an opportunity to not only experience the technical side of construction, but also the soft skills necessary to be successful. So the day is broken up in a way that they have different rotations where they get to explore different trades, so they can use power tools or they can practice what it means to do plaster molds and things like that. But they also get an opportunity to really deep dive into what it means to be confident within themselves," Cousins said.
ACI is a trade association representing more than 500 member companies across the architecture, engineering and contracting sectors.
Jordan Vogel, executive director of Allied Construction Industries, said expanding the workforce is both a matter of equity and economic necessity.
"The greater our workforce for construction-related projects, the more projects we can take on. Well, with just males and just of a specific ethnicity, the math won't math. We must fish in other pools," Vogel said.
Of the 28,417 people directly employed in commercial construction in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area, only 11.5% are women, despite women representing more than half the regional population.
The commercial construction industry generates $10.2 billion in total economic activity, supports 52,611 jobs and contributes $224.7 million in state and local tax revenue across the region.
As part of the camp's legacy project, campers and ACI member companies worked together to build a career closet at the Boys & Girls Clubs facility. The closet will provide future members with access to tools, equipment and professional clothing for years to come.
WATCH: Why attracting more women to trades can benefit our community
Adelaide Forte, director of the Western & Southern Workforce Development Center at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, said the partnership fills a critical gap for young people in the community.
"This partnership gives our members hands-on exposure to careers they may never have considered, and the career closet will continue to benefit our community long after camp ends. We're grateful to ACI and its member companies for investing in the next generation," Forte said.
Mentors from ACI member companies played a central role in the camp. Maya Middlebrook, a community engagement strategist with Turner Construction Company, said the lack of women in the industry is something she and her coworkers talk about often — but her own experience has looked different.
"Ever since I've been in my career, I've seen nothing but female representation, and for me, that meant a lot and gave me the confidence that I needed to really explore and expand and take a chance on myself in my career," Middlebrook said.
Middlebrook's team led campers through the Turner Tetris Challenge, an activity designed to illustrate how every trade and division within the construction industry must work together.
"When you think of construction, you think of a tool in hand, long days, hard work, which it can be. But there are so many different avenues, and there are so many different roles, and there are so many different things that are a part of our industry where we all have to work together to do it. And so just exposing them to all those different options is really important," Middlebrook said.
She said mentorship is what opens doors young people don't yet know exist.
"I didn't even know in my career when I was graduating college that this role that I'm in right now existed. And I would have never known that without my mentor," Middlebrook said.
New scholarships open doors beyond camp. ACI also announced the launch of the ACI She Builds Scholarship program, built around the idea that there is more than one way to build a career in construction.
The program offers two distinct tracks because ACI does not prioritize one path over the other. The She Builds College Scholarship supports women pursuing degrees in construction management, engineering, architecture or related fields. The She Builds Trades Education Scholarship supports women entering the industry through apprenticeship, technical training, specialty schools or direct workforce programs.
Cousins said the goal is simple: remove the financial barriers that stand between women and the industry, no matter which direction they choose.
"Whether they're going to college to do construction management, architecture, engineering, things like that, or they're going direct into a trade school or an apprenticeship program, they will have an opportunity to receive the funds necessary to make that transition easier," Cousins said.
She said the money can go toward whatever a woman needs to make that move: tuition, books or other costs, as long as she is committed to entering the industry and staying in the Cincinnati area.
"These scholarships are one of the most direct ways we can have impact on the growth of our industry's workforce. ACI She Builds is a female-focused workforce development initiative comprising multiple programs, and the scholarship program is the piece that says: we want you to know that we see you, and we support you. We're intentionally investing in women who are essentially pre-career because we want to put wind in their sails so that they are encouraged to stay the course and join the ranks of other great women in our amazing industry," Vogel said.
The scholarships are funded through contributions from ACI member companies, private donors, family and corporate foundations, and ACI contributions. Because recipients will be selected this fall, donations made now directly affect the size and reach of the awards presented at the Nov. 12 ceremony.
Applications are open now and close Sept.18.
Here is the full 2026 scholarship timeline:
- Application deadline: Sept.18
- Finalist interviews: Oct. 12-16
- Recipient notification: Oct. 21-23
- Awards celebrated: Nov.12
To apply for a scholarship or donate to the 2026 She Builds Scholarship fund, visit aci-web.com/she-builds/aci-she-builds-scholarship.
