Female tradespeople
Contents |
[edit] UK crying out for female tradespeople says research by the Chartered Institute of Building.
More women are being encouraged to learn trade skills after research by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) revealed 3 in 5 of UK residents would hire a female tradesperson to carry out work at their home, but 10% saying they’ve tried to find one with no success.
[edit] Only 1% of tradespeople are women
In the UK only 1% of tradespeople working in construction, including plumbers, carpenters, builders, and electricians are women, compared to North America where the figure rises to 10% or more in a number of regions.
The CIOB survey* found around a third of respondents would prefer to hire a female tradesperson, with 12% totally ruling it out. Helping support women in trades was the most common reason given for wanting to hire a female tradesperson. This opinion was expressed by half of female respondents compared with less than a third of men, while some respondents said they’d feel more at ease having a woman carry out work in their home.
[edit] Parliamentary event
To raise awareness of the UK’s lack of female tradespeople and inspire construction companies to develop more diverse workforces, the CIOB yesterday (June 16) hosted an event in Parliament with Emily Thornberry MP.
Representatives from the North American campaign group, Tradeswomen Building Bridges and the University of Westminster, attended the event to share their experience of increasing female representation within key trades carrying out work both domestically and on commercial construction projects in the USA and Canada. People from across the construction industry, professional bodies and academia also attended.
[edit] Industry comments
Caroline Gumble, CEO at the CIOB, said: “Attracting and retaining talent in construction has been a headline issue for years - but even in the knowledge that the industry needs to be better at attracting people, this quite shocking figure that only 1% of UK tradespeople are women, needs to change. Bringing more women – and others from groups that are currently under-represented into the industry is vital for the sector’s success and Tradeswomen Building Bridges are an inspiration to us all. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter has now been signed by almost 70 organisations since it launched last year, and while this is a step in the right direction, there is still work to be done and our survey supports that. There are householders and clients out there who would clearly like to be able to work with female tradespeople, but there are not enough of them, and we need to close that gap.”
Susan Moir, founder of Tradeswomen Building Bridges said: “Dramatic increases in the numbers of women working in the manual construction trades in North America have been led by the tradeswomen themselves. Forty of us have come to London to share our stories and successes. We have come to learn and hope to inspire the UK industry to open up to more tradeswomen.”
Emily Thornberry MP said: “The UK construction industry has a skills shortage and with only 2% of construction workers being women, that is hardly surprising. It is vital for the growth of our economy that the skills of all our citizens are harnessed. That’s why I am delighted to be sponsoring this important event.
“In order to get more women in the industry, we must fight discrimination on sites and amongst employers, and stop perpetuating the stereotypes which divide up job roles according to gender. This will only happen if we place this issue higher up the political agenda and provide it with a greater focus.”
Female tradespeople UK statistic from ONS website
This article appears on the CIOB News site entitled "UK crying out for female tradespeople says research by the Chartered Institute of Building" on June 17 2022.
--CIOB
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Building people.
- Celebrating women in engineering.
- Diversity.
- Equality.
- Equality Act.
- Flexible working in engineering services.
- Gender stereotypes examined in Unlimited Potential report.
- Getting personal about protective equipment.
- How to encourage women into engineering.
- International Women in Engineering Day 2018.
- International Women in Engineering Day 2020.
- International Women's Day 2017.
- Interview with Ann Vanner.
- Interview with Paloma Hermoso, Senior Project Manager CIOB MAPM, Baker Ruff Hannon.
- Why so many women leave engineering.
- Women's Engineering Society.
- Women in Construction – the critical solution to a skills shortage.
- Women in the Construction Indusry.
Featured articles and news
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
From project managers to rising stars, sustainability pioneers and more.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.