daniel chigunwe
Construction heavy equipment maker Caterpillar just wrapped up its first women’s operator challenge and celebration in North Carolina.
Supporting an increase in women working in the construction industry is a priority to many, as the industry continues to be beleaguered by a substantial workforce shortage.
Caterpillar aimed to call attention to some of the accomplished women equipment operators in the industry, with an event that included networking, a keynote speaker and skills competitions.
The Equipment Today team was thrilled to witness this groundbreaking event and see these trailblazing women do the work.
While we are happy to celebrate the winners of the competition, we were all winners at this event. According to Krista Koenig from Ring Power, a Caterpillar Dealer, “Just this [event] happening is a win.”
Dubuque, Iowa’s Kait Burds took home top honors at Caterpillar’s first Women in Construction Celebration March 13-14 in Clayton, N.C. Burds successfully demonstrated her advanced machine operator skills by maneuvering difficult work site challenges in record time with extreme precision.
Burds was one of 18 women—representing Cat dealers throughout the Americas—who gathered at Caterpillar’s Edward J. Rapp Customer & Training Center to compete in the state-of-the-art skills tests, learn about the latest industry trends and network with peers.
“I feel really good; the competition was pretty stiff. It’s good affirmation of the hard work I put into my career,” said Burds. “I hope this event gives women in construction more exposure and gives them the confidence to go out and do things that scare them.”
The skills tests included expertise in the following areas:
Small Wheel Loader: Move material through the course to achieve 7.0 tonnes to 7.5 tons; then change to forks and use them to move a pallet.
Compact Track Loader: Navigate an obstacle course using multiple machine functions.
Small Hydraulic Excavator: Load truck to achieve 10.0 tons of payload.
The two-day event provided women equipment operators with networking opportunities and skills contests.
Along with the tests, the competitors participated in a panel discussion where they shared best practices, discussed managing a successful career in a male-dominated industry and talked about the importance of recruiting more female operators and technicians into the workforce.
“The event is a celebration of female machine operators who build our world, advocate and drive awareness for their trade, and highlight solutions that address jobsite needs,” said Caterpillar marketing manager, Chrissy Metz.
“Each competitor demonstrates advanced abilities operating the latest Cat construction machines and technologies, showing the world the invaluable role women play in the construction industry.”
Renowned Air Force fighter pilot, retired Lt. Col. Tammy Barlette, delivered a powerful and inspiring keynote during the opening lunch where she shared lessons learned from her years in the cockpit that she now applies to everyday life. − forconstructionpros.com
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