The female revolution of the 21st century has been the catalyst for improved gender equality in employment across many sectors and industries. A report by the office of fiscal statistics stated that in 1975, approximately 52% of women were employed in the workforce – a figure that has now risen to almost 80% of women in the UK in full-time employment.
However, some industries remain heavily male-dominated and seem as though they are inaccessible to women. One of these industries is undoubtedly construction.
Fastbuild has analysed the data provided by Career Smart, and we have chosen to group these sectors:
- Construction operatives
- Construction build trades
- Plumbers and heating engineers
- Electricians
- Painters and decorators and carpenters and joiners
These trades are the individuals doing the day-to-day hands-on work on UK construction or maintenance projects, from large-scale new builds to home improvements and repairs.
Fastbuild have compiled the data of employed persons by gender and calculated that women currently comprise only 4.2% of the workforce within the construction industry trade categories that we analysed, with females making up just 14% of the overall construction site workforce in the UK.
That being said, the acceptance of women to enter a male-dominated workforce is still a young concept in the history of the UK, so we can expect to see these numbers continue to gradually rise through the 21st century as attitudes shift.
Further evidence suggests that from a business perspective, it is financially beneficial to have a diverse employee pool, with UK companies in the top quarter of equal gender employment 54% more likely to outperform expected annual industry profits. In contrast, companies in the bottom quarter were 47% more likely to outperform expected annual industry profits.
In fact, in just the last five years (2016 to 2021), there has been a 138.3% increase in the number of girls and women enrolling in construction trade apprenticeships in the UK , with a record high of 4,170 women entering the construction industry as trained professionals in 2021.
So what is making more women in the UK begin to step away from their traditionally female occupations and take on training and roles in the male-dominated construction industry?
What Is It Really Like To Work In Construction As A Woman?
Inspired by the growing conversation surrounding the issue faced by women in the workplace and the rise in gender equality within traditionally male-dominated industries, Fastbuild wanted to discover exactly what it is like for a woman on the ground in the construction industry.
Fastbuild first spoke to Taylor O'Brien, a 16-year-old student at West London College. She is enrolled in a generalist course in Construction Skills, learning trades such as carpentry and joinery, plumbing, electrical installations and brickwork.
Fastbuild then interviewed Lou Parkinson, who has previously worked as a labourer for two years. She has now decided to elevate her career in construction further, enrolling at trades college in a city and guilds electrician qualification.
To provide a well-rounded first-hand account of the entire experience of a career in construction as a woman, we also spoke to Bracken Vanstone, a highly trained carpenter and joiner.
When analysing what each woman had to say about her time spent within the construction industry, we could extract a number of key themes that translated through all of the women's experiences. Making a change in the physical and social world around them was a key factor in motivating all of these women to build a career in construction.
As Bracken Vanstone states: "I have loved the experience. I feel fit and strong from the manual labour and have a great sense of satisfaction knowing that my work is dotted in and around the countryside and will be for many years."
16 years old, Taylor O'Brien recognised, "There are also not many women in this field, so it would be great to help make a change."
It wasn't just drive to take part in a social change that motivated these women either; the appeal of strengthening both their minds and their bodies throughout their career progression had an influence on their decision; Lou Parkinson told Fastbuild, "I was already working as a builders labourer for another construction company; however, I wanted a business of my own and to work in an environment where my brain carried as much weight as my muscles."
Training in construction has given these women an opportunity to gain many practical skills they otherwise wouldn't have had access to, "It will also give me the knowledge and skills to have my own business and be set up for life."-Lou Parkinson.
For any girl or woman considering beginning a career within the construction industry, "Go for it!! If you love it, great! If you don't, you can always try something new. What's there to lose?"- Bracken Vanstone. Who has worked for many years in a timber framing and joinery business and has worked on a large scale
Overall the future is looking bright for girls and women in construction, with the increasing number of females of all ages entering the construction workforce, as well as the positive experiences they are having while training and working.
