Georgia Event Introduces Nearly 50 Teen Girls to Public Works Careers

Nearly 50 high school girls gathered in Griffin, Georgia, for the first Girls in Public Works Day, which introduced them to city careers in a field where women remain underrepresented.

Public works departments handle services such as trash pickup and pothole repairs. At the event, girls explored career options across the field and watched a riding mower demonstration. Seventeen-year-old Terrhya Young took a turn at the controls.

Young said, “It was nice learning about the different opportunities, the different jobs and how they help the city.”

Women make up one in 10 public works employees, while men account for 99% of fuel-operation jobs. Mariza Eller, Griffin’s public works director and an event organizer, encouraged girls to consider the field. “For any girl that wants to enter public works, call me. You can do it.”

Organizers want to bring Girls in Public Works Day to more cities in Georgia and across the country.