INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
The low percentage of women in turfgrass classifies such work as a nontraditional job , defined by the United States Department of Labor as an occupation with 25 % or less female employment . Other nontraditional labor sectors with similar percentages of female employment to turfgrass include welding , construction , plumbing and electricity ( 2.2 to 5.3 % women ). The low engagement of women in turfgrass is a problem as the industry faces labor concerns . In recent years , a decline in the U . S . unemployment rate and immigrant and bluecollar worker availability has affected hiring . In the past 12 months , the effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated the labor issue . As the industry struggles to fill positions , recognizing the under-utilization of women could be a solution . Can increased recruitment of women to the turfgrass industry close the labor gap ?
Imagine if the percentage of women working in sports turf rose from 4 % to 10 %. Based on current STMA membership , this relatively small increase would result in an additional 150 women seeking employment . Now imagine if the percentage changed to 20 % or 30 % women . Refining recruitment methods to attract women to the industry could ease labor concerns and result in a more diverse workforce . Barriers faced
uniquely by women may be limiting the number of women entering and remaining in the industry . In other agricultural fields , research has been conducted to identify challenges and opportunities for women in order to increase their recruitment . This information is of value to the turfgrass industry to improve recruitment and retention strategies for women and to ease labor concerns .
FEMALE JOURNEYS TO LEADERSHIP Researchers at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Agricultural Leadership , Education and Communications took a scientific approach to determine barriers and opportunities for women in the turfgrass industry by interviewing female leaders to explore their lived experiences . Thirteen female leaders participated in the study and represented diverse backgrounds including 6 to 30-plus years of experience working in turfgrass ; geographic locations in three countries and comprised of nine U . S . states and three Canadian provinces ; and job titles ranging from athletic field manager to assistant athletic field manager to graduate student to golf course superintendent and assistant golf course superintendent . Five of the women work in sports field management and eight in golf . Female leaders participated in 30- to 90-minute interviews conducted remotely via Zoom . Interviews were semi-structured and posed the central research question , “ What lived experiences have shaped your career in the turfgrass industry .” Transcriptions of interviews were used to develop themes intended to encompass the experiences and views of all 13 participating women . Responses from female leaders established themes of career paths , challenges and opportunities . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com May 2021 | SportsField Management
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