How the construction industry can attract more women

Data informs us that women applying for jobs in the construction industry are more likely to be hired than male applicants, with success rates of 16:1 and 22:1, respectively. So, why is it then that women make up just 23% of employees in the built environment? One explanation is that the underrepresentation of women in this industry is largely down to them not applying for these roles in the first place.

Although there have evidently been improvements in the number of women in this industry in recent years, there are still major strides to be taken until this area of diversity is where it needs to be. Therefore, what can be done to attract more women into construction?

We spoke to several leaders in the built environment as part of our Building Futures: Career Conversations series, and here our some of our key learns.
 

Improve how the industry is perceived

As part of the series, we spoke to Sandi Rhys Jones, Vice President of the CIOB, who thinks that there could be a correlation between the perception of the industry and the lack of women it attracts, explaining: “we have an industry that is adversarial, it’s expensive, it's always over budget, most people think it's awful, how do we change this and is there a relationship between that and the fact there are fewer women than any other industry.”

Sandi believes that professionalising the industry could improve how it’s perceived, which could subsequently have a positive impact on diversity and attract more women into construction jobs, asking the question: “Do we need to professionalise it? I think that if people see, as they do in Europe, that construction is a profession, rather than thinking if you can't find a job anywhere else, then you can get a job on site.

“It's that perception of the industry which we've been talking about for years. I think there are a number of things we need to do [to attract more diversity]. One is the identity and the image of the industry. I think the industry has to be better at positioning itself as an influencer rather than an economic regulator.”
 

Create an inclusive and positive workplace

Although we know that some great strides have undoubtably been made, unfortunately, gender discrimination in the construction industry is still very prevalent; in a recent survey, almost four-fifths (78%) of UK tradeswomen said they had previously witnessed or experienced discrimination against women in the construction industry.

Speaking to Noel McKnee, Business Development Manager at Mascott Construction and Trustee of the CIOB, it’s clear that male allies are noticing discrimination too.

“Everybody has a role to play, and particularly the whole business of females and construction, and woman and construction,” says Noel “I have seen the hurt caused by men to women. I have had the privilege… to listen to the stories of woman I have met in my career, in my work with the CIOB, and listened to how they have had to deal with issues that we thought maybe we had got over but they're still there; the wolf whistling, the innuendos.”
 

“Educate the educators”

From the work Noel has carried out in the past, he found that “the education system and the careers advice teachers within many schools don't really understand what's on offer within the construction industry; they tend to parcel women up into the caring professions and the boys will do the technical professions,” and to improve this, therefore increasing attraction of women to the industry, he advises “we have got to educate the educators as an industry,” as well as parents of future generations.

Noel’s views coincide with women in the industry, as a recent survey shows that UK tradeswomen think that showcasing tradeswomen in schools, higher education, and careers events would be the most effective ways to reduce discrimination against women in the construction industry.
 

Be open to unconventional educational backgrounds

Qualifications in maths or science are often required for construction-related courses in higher education. Broadening the requirements to be less traditional could be another way to attract more diversity into the built environment, as then it would appeal to those with different interests, which could potentially mean more women.

As part of the series, Dr Sarah Williamson, Technical director at Laing O'Rourke, spoke about how broader requirements could not only increase diversity, but also how employees with a different educational background could bring a different, valuable skillset to the table: “masses of what we do is about being able to communicate what we're doing… There's a whole range of skills that we need in the industry and it's not all about being able to do that hard science side of it.”

For more valuable insights about how the industry can improve DE&I, as well as the social purpose of the industry and sustainability, take a look at our Building Futures: Career Conversations series, where you will hear from leaders in the construction and property industries, including Sandi, Noel, and Sarah. 

The Women in Construction Awards were set up in 2022 to celebrate women working in the industry and raise awareness about the current gender disparity in construction. We are proud to have sponsored the awards in 2022, 2023 and 2024, showcasing our industry expertise and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.