Why we need more women in construction

Of the 2.7 million people working in the construction sector, fewer than 15 per cent are women. That's not a statistic from the 1950s, but a reflection of where we are today. 

Traditionally, construction has been seen as a physically demanding, male-dominated industry. Women were often excluded from many job roles due to stereotypes and biases. 

While some housebuilders have been working hard to quash the stereotype that construction is only a job for men, one of the roadblocks is the scarcity of female role models in the industry. Such a lack of representation can lead to isolation and limited networking opportunities. 

Another sticking point seems to be women's pre-conceptions about construction, the roles available and the lived experience in the industry, especially for those on sites. 

To better understand women's views of the sector and where they fit into it, we surveyed 2,000 women. The research showed that half of women still believe that the construction sector is male-dominated. While women now occupy roles as varied as sustainability, carpentry, site management, land buying, design, sales, marketing, HR and finance, only a third of the women we spoke to had considered a career in the industry. 

We also found that a lack of knowledge about the realities of life in the building sector may be putting-off some women. A fifth of those surveyed said they didn't believe that working in construction would give them the flexibility to fit around family life. 

While we, and other housebuilders, have flexible and hybrid working arrangements, this is mainly focused on sales and office-based roles. On site, there is still a challenge around how women can balance their home and work lives. 

Despite progress, it's clear that construction still faces challenges to attract more women. The shortage of skilled construction workers after Brexit, coupled with an ageing workforce, and a transition to net zero, means that our sector must innovate and rethink how we can attract and retain a pipeline of talented workers, including more women. 

While our survey found that there is some scepticism amongst women about choosing construction as a career, there are also signs that things are changing. Women at the start of their careers (18-24) said they are more likely to opt for a role in construction (46 per cent). 

Significantly, the higher pay typically paid in construction is a big draw with a third of women who said that they would be more attracted to enter the industry because of industry-leading training and attractive salaries, driven by the skills gap.

One of the other findings is that women want to work for organisations that have created strong support networks that advocate for women. We've listened to this and introduced programmes at every level to encourage female talent, from school leavers to graduates and also, more experienced recruits. At the same time, we are supporting and promoting women already within the business, and those who are looking to switch careers.

We set-up Catalyst in 2018 to help women at Barratt network and connect across the business. Our internal data showed that it was more difficult for women to navigate the business to achieve their goals, not least as they were often in low numbers within each team. Our Catalyst programme was formed as a support initiative to connect these women and provide external expert support to address some of those challenges. 

Almost half of those attending the programme have developed into a wider role or promotion and eight of our alumni have become directors at Barratt. Colleagues who have completed the programme say it has been "life changing". This year, there have been double the number of self-nominations due to the popularity of the programme. 

We also have an employee-led network, Under One Roof, which focuses on gender equality, aiming to create an environment for everyone to thrive regardless of their gender.

Also, we launched our latest network, SheBuilds, to create a safe and inclusive environment for women on site and on tools and promote construction as a careers choice. SheBuilds provides peer-to-peer support, networking and signposting to support for women. 

Encouraging more women and girls to pursue education and training in construction-related fields is crucial to fixing the skills gap problem, and also, to tackle some of the big challenges facing the sector, such as climate change. We are working with schools and colleges to attract more young people, including girls, to join construction and to get into science and technology industries. 

Attracting more women into the sector is key. Housebuilders and sub-contractors need to attract women from all backgrounds and with all sorts of skill sets. The sector can only benefit from encouraging women to bring their varied experience into the industry.

Gemma Webb is Group Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Barratt Development PLC