In light of recent educational pathway reforms, Patricia Gardiner of Trade Direct Insurance has said that more needs to be done to encourage girls into the industry
Closing the construction skills gap would be made much easier by encouraging more young girls to pursue a trade skill, according to Gardiner.
The industry has seen several attempts from various bodies to do this, but little has changed as construction has remained a primarily male-dominated industry.
Several things need to change for women in construction
Gardiner proposes three major aspects that need to be addressed in order to encourage more girls into the industry:
1. Increasing awareness during education
For years, priority has been placed on sending students to higher education institutions, allowing the stigma against trades to grow and exacerbate.
Women are no exception, and 38% of surveyed women said that if they had the chance, they would go back and learn a trade. This indicates that there is interest amongst women in learning trades, but the incentives and interest is not being generated early enough.
2. Improving pathways to a career
Many women that enter the construction industry do so later in their career, but they do not find it easy. The most common method of reskilling is entering an apprenticeship, which lasts for a set amount of time, and is a drop in wages, particularly for someone who has been earning a full wage up to that point. Many women cannot afford to do this.
To make matters worse, not every company can afford to offer these apprenticeships, making places limited, meaning that many women who are interested simply cannot join. Boosting apprentices would be an effective step in allowing women into the profession
3. Creating a safe working environment
The male-orientation of the construction industry can create a challenging environment, especially for women, in terms of risk of sexual harassment, but also in terms of ill-fitting PPE due to not being gender specific, causing health and safety risks.
This environment can be discouraging for women, and addressing it will boost not only recruitment of women into the construction workforce, but also retention.
Several programmes in place to boost numbers
In June, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) received a Career Development Initiative of the Year award from the Women in Housing and Housing Heroes Awards 2026 for their Women into Home Building Programme.
The programme spans the nation, and gives women resources and support in site management careers. Since 2023, the programme has helped more than 400 women access career support and advice.
Andy George, director of industry attraction and skills at HBF, stated: “It was great to see the Women into Home Building programme win the Career Development Initiative of the Year award.
“The programme is a key component of our Sector Skills Plan, providing valuable insight through work experience placements and continues to go from strength to strength. It’s fantastic to see this work recognised externally.”
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