Celebrating Women in Construction!

With a keen eye for safety and a drive to succeed, Montse Freber is showing what it means to thrive in the trades. See how she’s making a name for herself—and paving the way for more women in construction.

Nationally, March is recognized as Women’s History Month, and each year, a dedicated week is set aside to celebrate Women in Construction (WIC). From March 2nd through the 8th, this year’s WIC Week — themed ‘Together We Rise’ — raises awareness of the opportunities available to women in the trades and encourages the positive trajectory of their collective action.

One woman on the rise is our electrical apprentice, Montse Freber. Championing the trades as a viable pathway to a fulfilling career, Montse shares how successfully balancing a career in the electrical trade with being a first time mom to her three year old son, Barrett, has strengthened her confidence, mindfulness, and resilience— qualities that not only power her personal success but the efforts of her team as well.

“Every day I’m reassured that I made the right decision by choosing (a career) in the trades. Before I got into this work, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough,” Montse admits, “Now, I find myself being a teacher to Barrett, showing him what I’ve learned and helping him to build confidence in his own choices. He’s still very little but I feel my confidence rubbing off on him.”

According to the U.S. bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) only 2.2% of electricians are female. And, while those statistics fluctuate a few percentage points among various agencies, one thing is clear—electricians are in demand! The BLS reports that some 80,000 new electricians are needed to meet growing demand and combat a workforce that is diminishing.

Montse approaches every day on the job as a learning opportunity, picking up technical expertise shared by seasoned vets and valuable guidance from her mentors. Both team members and leadership have fostered an environment where she can thrive as an electrician. “My team members definitely have a lot to do with why I’m so successful in the trades today,” Montse says, “they’ve never shied away from teaching me.”

Recently, Montse’s growth became evident when she was recognized for her vigilance and exceptional commitment to IES’ safety culture. While tracing out equipment feeds, she discovered a control cabinet contaminated with spilled product, including syringes with small, hairline needles—some missing their protective guards. This posed a serious risk to anyone working in the area, as a broken needle could enter the bloodstream and potentially lead to hospitalization. Immediately, Montse used her stop work authority to prevent exposure and protect her entire team from what could have resulted in a catastrophic incident.

“I definitely approach my job with a safety first mindset. There are things that I can pick out in certain situations at work, where I can identify ‘hey, maybe we shouldn’t do this, or let’s take extra precaution,’” says Montse. “I’m constantly making sure that everyone’s being safe, you know? My approach is very careful and calculated because things can go wrong very easily in this line of work.”

With her newfound confidence, Montse has a message to new moms—or any woman— considering a career in the trades: “My hope is that more women realize that they can do anything they set their minds to. Realizing that and securing my family’s future has been my biggest accomplishment.”

Thanks to individuals like Montse, women in construction are on the rise, as more women are stepping up and stepping in to fill the growing demand!

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