Young females display increasing interest for careers in the construction industry, according to recent findings
On International Women's Day 2024, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West announced a groundbreaking outreach initiative aimed at working with one million young people over the next two years. The goal is to challenge the long-standing stigma that construction is a field exclusive to men and encourage more women to pursue careers in this sector.
The initiative focuses on various aspects, including expanding access to apprenticeship programs, increasing knowledge about construction careers among young women, and leveraging tradeswomen-led organisations to support recruitment and retention.
One of the key projects within this initiative is the Infrastructure Pathways Project, launched by Equal Rights Advocates. This project partners with local governments and apprenticeship programs to create family-sustaining construction career paths for women, particularly those from low-income and historically excluded groups.
Research indicates that early career exposure in middle and high school significantly influences interest in STEM and construction management careers. Therefore, outreach at these stages is crucial in overcoming gender disparities.
Tradeswomen-led outreach also plays a vital role in recruitment by addressing barriers unique to women and promoting equitable access to federal construction job training and apprenticeship opportunities.
Currently, women constitute about 4.2% of construction trades workers nationally and 4.5% of federally registered apprenticeship programs. However, these initiatives and partnerships with unions and training programs indicate positive momentum toward increasing female participation.
Lindsey Sills, who joined Barratt Developments Yorkshire West as a board member in March 2023, has been at the forefront of this movement. Sills, a commercial director, has worked hard to break stereotypes and stigma surrounding housebuilding throughout her career and encourages her teams to become more diverse.
In fact, more women than ever are coming through into the housebuilding part of the business, according to Sills. She emphasises the significant skills deficit and the large pool of potential female workers in the construction industry.
To further support this cause, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West will be visiting schools and setting up a donation fund as part of their outreach initiative. They aim to educate young women about construction careers and connect them to quality apprenticeships and mentorship.
However, challenges remain. A recent Morgan Siddall report found that 57% of women and girls are deterred from pursuing careers in construction due to its perceived male dominance. Spreading awareness of women in construction and normalising their presence can attract more women to the sector, as suggested by Maria Kinsella.
John Isherwood, a broadcaster on Fix Radio, discussed the challenges of encouraging more females into the construction sector. He highlighted the lack of apprenticeship opportunities for women with construction-related university degrees, as pointed out by Pixie Perez-Garcia.
Despite these challenges, initiatives like Barratt Developments Yorkshire West's outreach programme offer a promising step towards a more gender-balanced construction sector. As Sills rightly emphasises, "seeing female tradespeople should not be surprising."
[1] Equal Rights Advocates. (n.d.). Infrastructure Pathways Project. Retrieved from https://www.equalrightsadvocates.org/infrastructure-pathways-project/ [2] European Institute of Gender Equality. (n.d.). Encouraging Women into Male-Dominated Professions: Best Practices from the European Union. Retrieved from https://www.eigegender equalityindex.eu/best-practices/encouraging-women-into-male-dominated-professions-best-practices-from-the-european-union [3] National Women's Law Center. (2022). Women in Construction: The Current State of Gender Diversity in the Construction Industry. Retrieved from https://nwlc-ciw4h6gw2nb.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Women-in-Construction-Report-2022.pdf [4] Women's Engineering Society. (2023). Women in Engineering: Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.wes.org.uk/about-us/our-impact/women-in-engineering-statistics [5] Construction Women's Forum. (2022). Women in Construction: Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved from https://www.constructionwomensforum.org/women-in-construction-challenges-and-opportunities/
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