A national organization that represents women working in construction will hold its regional forum in Bend this week, with the hope of starting a local chapter to provide networking and education for women in the industry.

The National Association of Women in Construction, a not-for-profit organization promoting women’s advancement and growth in the industry, will hold its regional conference in Bend, its first in Central Oregon. The forum, which will be held Thursday through Saturday at Seventh Mountain Resort, is expected to draw women from throughout Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Washington and Montana.

Kathleen Donohue, senior designer at the Bend office of Neil Kelly Home Design/Build Remodeling, said she thinks having a local chapter would help Central Oregon women in the construction business.

“There are a lot of women in the construction business,” she said. “Not so much hands-on people, but people like myself that are involved in design, planning … (or) are owners of businesses that are related to the construction industry.”

As of Dec. 31, 2010, women made up 9 percent of the construction industry’s national workforce, with about 807,000 employed in different sectors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 8.3 million men worked in the industry.

Donohue said while there are fewer women than men in construction, there are many more than there were when she started in the business 30 years ago.

In 2007, the annual average employment in the construction industry peaked in Deschutes County at about 7,585 workers, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Women made up about 17 percent, at 1,310.

Three years later, total construction employment in Deschutes County had dropped to an annual average of 3,068. But women still made up about 18 percent, at 549 workers.

While the construction industry lost a large number of workers in the recession, Donohue acknowledged, talented and skilled workers remain in the area.

“There are a lot of women trying to enter into the field,” Donohue said. “(A local chapter) would be very useful for networking during this time as we are pulling ourselves out of the Great Recession.”

Yasmine Branden, national vice president of the National Association of Women in Construction, said with the economy down it may be difficult to start a new chapter in Central Oregon, but economic data show a projected increase for construction in the region.

The association has approximately 6,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, along with affiliations with international groups. As of February, Oregon had 86 members in its three chapters: Salem, Portland and Eugene.

To start a Central Oregon chapter, 25 women in the area have to sign up to be members at large, said Branden, who is also vice president of construction for Neil Kelly. Women can sign up at the public networking event being held in Bend on Thursday, or online anytime.

“If there’s interest to build a chapter, we would have an (existing) chapter act as a mentoring chapter for the women in Bend (to) help them get up to speed,” she said.

Branden said being part of the association provides women with educational and professional development opportunities. It also helps them network and build relationships in the industry across the country and around the world, which can help them further their careers or take them in new directions.

“I think it’s difficult for anyone to break into a nontraditional career,” she said. “Women have been in construction for decades, but it’s still considered a nontraditional career path.”

Branden said there’s also a sector in the association for women who are interested in construction but may not currently be involved in the industry.

“(The National Association of Women in Construction) isn’t just for women who swing hammers,” Branden said. “It’s for women that are in the construction industry in all of its facets.”

If you go

What: The National Association of Women in Construction regional forum will be held Thursday-Saturday. Although registration is closed, a networking and informational event is free and open to the public.

Where: Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room 901 S.W. Simpson Ave.

When: Thursday 6-8:30 p.m.

To RSVP: Dalene-Schafer@hoffmancorp.com