Downtown El Paso is hosting the National Association of Women in Construction's Pacific Southwest Region fall conference forum this week. The event runs Thursday through Saturday at the DoubleTree by Hilton El Paso Downtown, located at 600 North El Paso Street, and provides a forum for women working across the construction industry.
According to KTSM 9 News, the forum highlights professional development, leadership, mentorship, and collaboration among women in the trades. The Pacific Southwest Region includes chapters from Arizona, Southern California, Hawaii, Southern Nevada, Colorado, El Paso, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, making El Paso's selection as host a chance to connect local construction professionals with peers from across the broader southwest. Organizers describe the region as a collaborative environment where members can exchange ideas, discuss workplace challenges, and develop new skills, the station reports.
Part of the forum's structure includes a president mentor program, which NAWIC says is designed to help incoming and outgoing chapter presidents maintain continuity and strengthen relationships between local chapters. The stated goals of the gathering, per the same report, include strengthening connections and encouraging continued participation and leadership throughout the construction industry.
A National Organization With Texas Roots
NAWIC traces its founding to 1953, when 16 women working in Fort Worth banded together to build a professional support network, according to NAWIC. The group earned its national charter in May 1955 and has since grown into a network of more than 115 chapters nationwide.
Women in Construction Week, which the El Paso forum connects to thematically, was established by NAWIC in 1998 and takes place in March. Activities during that annual week have included educational programs, jobsite tours, mentorship opportunities, and community outreach, per KTSM's reporting.
Locally, NAWIC El Paso Chapter 248 brings construction professionals together. Rebuilding Together El Paso runs home-repair programs, including its SHEBuilds program. The forum offers a chance to strengthen career pipelines for women entering the trades.
An Industry Growing, But Unevenly
A report cited by Construction Executive says the number of women in construction has increased 45% over the past decade.
The forum's focus on professional development and leadership reflects efforts to expand women's participation throughout the construction industry.
The stakes extend beyond representation. Associated Builders and Contractors projects the U.S. construction industry needs to attract 349,000 net new workers in 2026 to meet labor demand, driven largely by an aging workforce and elevated retirement rates across specialized trades. On pay, the picture is more encouraging: women in construction earn approximately 94.3 cents for every dollar earned by male counterparts in equivalent positions, a narrower gap than in the general workforce.
Local Projects Underscore the Need
El Paso's own construction pipeline illustrates why the labor conversation matters locally. Separately, in El Paso County's Upper Valley, the 63-year-old Vinton Steel mill is undergoing a $255 million overhaul and expansion, a project projected to create more than 180 new jobs. A public safety complex near El Paso International Airport has a $128 million design-build contract, with the design phase set to begin in April.
Those projects sit alongside the kind of jobsite activity that makes El Paso a relevant stop for a regional construction gathering. As the forum offers networking and professional development, it provides a timely venue for tradeswomen to compare notes on an industry still working out how to recruit, equip, and retain women on jobsites rather than just in management offices.
