Colleen Keyworth from Women in HVAC/R comes on the podcast to talk about the importance of getting women excited about our trade.

While many women take up administrative roles in HVAC/R companies, very few women work in the field. Schools don't tend to market trade schools to women (or in general), so we can attribute part of the gender gap to how high schools present career options to people. Women in HVAC/R as an organization helps educate young women about career options in the trades. Colleen also has a very positive view of the industry and the values that contractors tend to promote.

In general, women just want to be treated the same as men; women who go for HVAC careers want to be part of the rule, not seen as the exception. Colleen believes that female techs don't require any special considerations as long as the company culture is already intact. To get women interested in the field and set them up for success, we just need to be clear about expectations and what the job entails; the heavy lifting is only a small part of the job, and the physical disadvantage sometimes gets overblown.

The pillars of Women in HVAC/R are membership, sponsorship, mentorship, ambassador programs, and networking. Memberships are for all people who have a common goal of promoting a greater female presence in the HVAC/R industry, regardless of gender. The ambassador program is what really focuses on reaching out to young women in high schools.

Colleen and Bryan also discuss:

• Women's success in sales
• How women overcome the physical strength gap
• Support of men in the HVAC industry
• Non-inclusive environments in the past
• Generational differences

Learn more about Women in HVAC/R and consider becoming a member at womeninhvacr.org/.

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