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Women in Construction: Are girls still encouraged to join?
Words Barbara Akinkunmi
Is construction just for boys? Thousands of talented young women currently working within the Industry would agree that Construction provides multiple rewarding opportunities for young women to progress within a career. So why are girls not inspired to join?
Currently, women make up about 14% of the construction industry's workforce. This number is gradually increasing, compared to 2019, when women only made up 10% of the construction industry. Despite the tiny signals of improvement, there is still a significant gender gap to close in order to shatter the present male-dominated stigma. In 2017 the results of a survey conducted on thousands of women between the ages of 17 and 25 showed that only 13% would even consider a career in the Construction Industry – let alone pursue one. Almost half of those respondents said the main reason for the industry’s lack of appeal was perceived barriers to career progression. The typical stereotype for a construction site is very old-fashioned and just like advertising, some young women are put off by the ‘bob the builder’ gender stereotype. Unfortunately, these views still exist in the minds of young girls, making it difficult for more young women to enter and flourish within the Industry.
I strongly believe that inspiration surpasses encouragement and that inspiration truly comes from exposure.Young girls just need a clearer understanding of the impact construction has on our community and also exposure to the roles available within the Industry. Exposing girls to relatable young women across various disciplines really does enlighten their minds and makes an impact on their career decisions. This is something I wish I had during my secondary school & A-Level studies. I've been working within the Industry for 3 ½ years and I started as a Technical Design Graduate in 2018. I graduated from my BA Hons Architecture degree in 2017 however I was always intrigued to discover how a project is built on site and what the stages of construction involves. Although I was self motivated to join due to my passion for the industry, along the way I lacked the external inspiration, guidance and relatable examples that I could look up to.
There are many young girls out there who are yet to discover their interest in construction, however they are just not exposed or well informed about what is available for them. Educational learning should be made easy to understand and also easy to access, which is why platforms such as ‘GoConstruct UK’ and budding platforms such as ‘Girls Under Construction’ are needed in order to actively expose young women from an earlier stage. The more a bridge is created between young women and the industry, the more we’ll see more young girls join various disciplines within the industry. The current skills gap within construction can have a major knock-on effect on the industry in the long run if this gap is not filled. More women working in construction can really help with the skill shortage, hence why there needs to be more of an effort to inspire young women into it. The construction industry cannot afford to not be diverse in their workforce or it just may not survive!
Despite the ongoing issues raised within this article, the industry has changed quite a lot for women and there are a lot more women on site now than there used to be. Colleges, apprenticeship providers and even construction companies are taking to the schools to not only encourage more people in the industry, but to actively encourage girls and demonstrate that it’s not just for boys. They are doing this by showing students what it is like to work in the construction industry and what options are available to them. Involving students at a young age can positively shape the future of the construction industry. As a construction ambassador myself, I attend schools and talk about Architecture and the Industry as a whole. It is very rewarding to see the impact your knowledge and experience has on the minds of potential prospects. We also have a lot of young people visiting our construction sites so they can see the reality of it.
Over 230,000 construction jobs are predicted to be produced in the next five years. This means that many new roles will need to be filled across the industry, thus there has never been a better opportunity for young women to seek a career in construction. For professionals and tradespeople currently working within construction, inspiring young girls into the industry cannot be limited to the annual ‘Women in ConstructionWeek’ as this would be ignoring the talent that young girls can bring to the industry from building site to the boardroom. For an industry that has been dominated by men for decades, there needs to be an ongoing strategic effort all year round until we see a diverse change.