Women find success in male-dominated construction field.

Byline: Tiffany Ray

Oct. 31--Most American kids probably have heard of the popular television character "Bob the Builder." What they might not know is, there are a lot of Barbaras, too.

Among the more than 10 million people who worked in the nation's vast construction industry last year, nearly 10 percent were women.

Despite the large number of people already at work in the industry, some experts say the construction business is facing a shortage of workers in many areas, creating opportunities for men -- and women -- with a wide range of skills and interests.

Debra Baldwin, president of Dad's Enterprise, a general contracting company in Tuskegee, got her start in the industry as a young student working in her father's masonry business. After turns as a computer technician, job trainer and in other positions, Baldwin returned to the industry in 1999, starting Dad's with help from Carl S. Young, a construction-industry veteran who serves as vice president of sales and marketing.

With a small permanent staff, Baldwin has landed a series of government contracts, including current work on the U.S. Department of …