Ever fancied yourself as a
builder? Kelly Friel is a Product Manager with industrial tool supplier Zoro. Here, she discusses why it's
time more women were encouraged into the construction sector, and what
employers can do to help attract female talent.
According to the latest figures from
WISE,
the sector is almost entirely dominated by men, with just 11% of roles taken by
women. And, that doesn’t take into account the sort of work that women are doing
in these roles, many of which are likely to be secretarial or administrative,
rather than actually out on site.
The
Guardian even estimates that as many as 99% of on-site workers are men,
making construction one of the most heavily male-dominated industries out
there.
With a nationwide shortage of skilled construction workers
and tradespeople set to get even worse after Brexit, employers are starting to
wake up to the fact that we desperately need more women to join the industry. So,
just what can be done to make construction roles more appealing to women? Here,
I'll discuss what employers, site managers and educators can do to bring about
a change.
Employers need to embrace inclusive policies
One thing which is sure to put women off a job in
construction is the fear that they won’t be accepted by their colleagues on
site, or that they could even be subject to harassment or discrimination. No
one should face this treatment at work, and it's not just a matter of telling
women to "toughen up" or accept that it's "part of the job".
Employers and site managers need to commit to changing the workplace culture
which makes such behaviour acceptable.
Workplace policies need to outline what is and isn't
acceptable during working hours, and all staff should be fully trained on how
they can create an inclusive workplace culture. Every site also needs to have
reporting system in place, so that women can be confident that their concerns
will be listened to and addressed. This is already standard practice for most
other sectors, so there's really no reason it shouldn't be the same for
construction.
Employers should offer equal access to facilities and equipment
Another key concern is providing equal access to on-site
facilities and equipment, which is sadly often overlooked when hiring women. For
instance, many sites don’t even have female changing rooms or toilets, because
there are rarely ever women on site. Likewise, the majority of safety equipment
and construction wear — like hard hats, hi-vis wear, boots and gloves — is
designed for men. So, employers need to ensure that they have ample facilities
and equipment for women before they welcome them to the site.
Raising the profile of women in the industry
It’s much easier for women to imagine themselves in a role if
they can see others like themselves are already succeeding. So, the industry needs
to raise the profile of female construction workers, perhaps by asking women to
visit schools and colleges as guest speakers. Celebrating the trailblazers who
have already carved out a successful career in construction will help to encourage
other women to follow in their footsteps, and it will show that it’s not
exclusively a boys' club anymore.
Educating and empowering girls and young women
Many employers are already keen to diversify their
workforce, but often find that the talent pool for female candidates is very small,
meaning it's harder to find qualified women. This is likely because young women
learn that construction isn't a "girl's job" from an early age, and
so don’t decide to pursue this as a career. Educators and employers need to
work together to change this misconception, preferably by working in schools with
young people before they’ve decided what they'd like to do for a living.
There are also a number of myths around physical strength
which educators need to dispel. Thanks to modern technical advancements, many
building roles don’t involve as much demanding physical labour as they once
did. Additionally, lots of on-site roles, such as surveying and site
management, aren't very physical jobs. So, it’s a myth that you need to be
physically strong to work on a building site, and it’s important that girls and
young women realise this before they dismiss it as a career option.
Additionally, girls and young women need to be made more
aware that there's a lot of room for progression. Site management roles involve
a high degree of emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills, which
are the types of jobs women are often more drawn to. If more young women were
aware that these qualities are sought after skills, they might consider
pursuing construction as a career.
A career in construction can be rewarding and lucrative,
so it's only right that women are given the support and encouragement they need
to build a career in the sector. By working together, employers and educators
can change attitudes and pave the way for women to succeed in construction.
