Amber Schaffer

The good news, reports the National Association of Women in Construction, is the number of women with industry jobs is nearing 900,000, an increase of 18 percent from eight years ago. Overall, woman make up 12 percent of the construction industry, with the bulk of the jobs in the real estate broker and agent fields. In fact, women hold 54.5 percent of jobs in that area.

When it comes to other major fields, the numbers are fewer. In construction management, women hold 6.4 percent of the jobs while in labor they have 3.2 percent.

But the numbers are growing, thanks to women like Amber Schaffer, who has moved from labor into the office where she now works as an estimator for one of San Diego’s largest electrical contractors, Dynalectric.

In addition, Schaffer serves as the president of the National Association of Women in Construction’s San Diego chapter. One of the most enjoyable aspects of her involvement in the chapter is bringing the membership into contact with the community at events such as the annual Cad/Design/Drafting Contest in which high school students compete in the fictional design of a construction project — from start to finish.

The last contest required the students to design an outdoor amphitheater, and Schaffer says she was pleased to see the winner was a young woman, Joann Chan.

"It brings the industry out to the kids," says Schaffer as she anticipates the upcoming competition.

As the president of NAWIC, Schaffer also has taken a special interest in Rachel’s House, a shelter for homeless women. She organized a project in which she and some of the other members repainted the building and restored the bathrooms.

Impressed by the work at Rachel’s, Schaffer convinced Dave Raspolich, the president of Dynalectric, to donate one meal to Rachel’s House each month. The company has not missed a month since.

"This has been my baby," she says. "This really touches my heart; you can lose what you have with the snap of a month, especially being a single mom."

Between her new position at Dynalectric and her role as president of NAWIC, Schaffer is a prime example that women can be successful in a male- dominated industry.

"I think what is most important is that women in general are not always aware of the opportunities available to them, especially in the construction industry," she says. "With NAWIC, I try to get out there and show that there’s a future for men and women in the industry."