Empowering Women in Construction & Retrofit: Tackling the UK’s Skills Shortage Head-On

In recent years, the number of women entering the construction industry has plateaued at around 12 per cent. Compare that to other fields like education and health care, where nearly half of all employees are women, and it's clear that something is wrong. But what can we do to change this? We must explore the contributing factors to major inequalities that affect women in the industry, such as unequal opportunities, the gender pay gap, sexual harassment, and racism. By examining the gender equality measures in place within the construction industry and discussing the actions that empower women and the performative equality agenda of many top corporations. 

For generations, construction has been a male-dominated profession. The industry has been stereotyped as dirty, dangerous, and physically demanding, which has made it difficult for women to break into the field. Across the globe, women make up less than 2% of the construction workforce. This lack of gender diversity can have several negative consequences for both women and the industry as a whole. Women bring new perspectives and skill sets to the table, which can help to improve safety, quality, and efficiency on construction projects. In addition, increasing gender equality in construction can help to address the global shortage of skilled workers. By encouraging more women to enter the field, we can help to build a more diverse and thriving construction industry.

According to data collected by the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), women make up only 15% of the construction industry workforce. This pales in comparison to other industries such as education and health care, where nearly half of all employees are women. However, women make up just 1% of the workforce working on construction sites. The report also found that men working full-time in construction earn up to 20% more than their female counterparts do. Additionally, recent research conducted by Timewise found that women are much less likely to advance into senior positions within construction than men are. Only 15% of leadership roles in construction are held by women—a staggeringly low figure considering the importance of having diverse voices represented at all levels of leadership. With this absence of female representation in the industry, it's no wonder that women are not attracted to a career in construction. 

Women are underrepresented in many areas of the construction industry, such as engineering, architecture, retrofit and energy. Part of this concerns cultural expectations about what types of jobs are considered “suitable” for women. Furthermore, women may face additional barriers to breaking into these traditionally male-dominated fields due to a lack of access or resources necessary for career advancement. They may not be given access to high-level positions or mentorship programs due to their gender, especially when maternity leave and pregnancy are taken into consideration. Additionally, women may not be able to access certain tools or resources that their male counterparts have access to which can impede their ability to succeed at their job. This lack of opportunity leads many women to leave the industry before they even get a chance to make an impact. 

The UK retrofit industry y has been facing a long-term skills shortage, leading to decreased productivity that is hindering the retrofit of up to 19 million homes. There are currently under 3000 retrofit coordinators in the UK, with an expected 50,000 needed to fulfil net zero retrofit demands by 2030. For the industry to progress and adapt to its changing demands, it needs more diverse backgrounds, skills and perspectives. One way of achieving this is through gender equality in the workplace. Diversity may be the challenge faced by the construction industry. 

Gender equality matters because it brings different perspectives into the construction industry. Women bring a fresh perspective which is vital for problem-solving. They can provide an alternative angle on existing issues that may have otherwise gone overlooked if there was only one type of voice in the room. By having women in key roles within the construction industry, new ideas and innovative solutions can be brought to the table that may have yet to be considered. This can help create a more dynamic working environment where all voices are heard and respected. 

In addition to bringing fresh ideas, having gender equality also helps improve safety in the workplace. Studies have shown that when men and women work together on a project with equal roles, there is improved communication between team members which leads to better collaboration and understanding of the tasks at hand. This results in fewer mistakes being made on site due to better communication which reduces both potential injury risks as well as financial losses associated with project delays or mistakes caused by lack of clarity onsite. 

So how can we attract and retain more female talent in the industry? Despite the implementation of quota-based inclusion measures and gender equality actions, the underrepresentation of women in the construction sector persists. The most commonly implemented strategy for increasing diversity in construction is to implement quotas that require a certain percentage of employees or contractors to be from diverse backgrounds. This approach may have its merits—for example, it allows organizations to achieve quick results by establishing a measurable goal that can easily be tracked and reported on—but it also has its drawbacks. For one, it doesn’t address underlying systemic issues such as pay equity or workplace discrimination. Additionally, quota-based inclusion measures often lead to tokenism—the perception that people are hired merely to fulfil a diversity requirement rather than based on their qualifications and experience. 

Rather than focusing on implementing policies or actions at an organizational level, organizations should consider creating a culture of inclusion and respect where everyone's perspectives and input are valued. This means ensuring that everyone—regardless of gender—has equal access to opportunities for career advancement, professional development, and leadership roles within the organization. It also involves creating an environment where issues such as sexism or harassment are taken seriously and addressed promptly. Finally, this means fostering an atmosphere in which all employees feel respected, supported, and empowered. 

The most important factor for achieving lasting gender equality is leadership buy-in from senior management. When leaders demonstrate their commitment to promoting gender equality by taking tangible actions such as setting targets for hiring more women into higher-level positions or providing mentorship opportunities specifically designed for women in construction, it sends a powerful message throughout the organization that diversity is valued and encouraged. Moreover, when leaders prioritize initiatives aimed at increasing diversity within the workplace, they create a ripple effect throughout the entire organization as employees become motivated to take action themselves. 

Gender equality helps attract more talent into the construction industry which increases its overall capability and capacity for taking on bigger projects with greater complexity. Having more diverse backgrounds gives companies access to a larger pool of talent from which they can select people who best fit their needs for certain projects or tasks at hand. This helps ensure that businesses can select individuals who are most suitable for each job role depending on their individual experience or skill set - something that would not be possible without gender diversity in place first. 

Despite these benefits—and countless other advantages that women bring to the table—they still face significant hurdles when looking for work within the construction industry due to entrenched stereotypes about gender roles and capabilities. That’s why it’s so important for organizations to highlight successful female professionals within their ranks so that other women can see themselves represented in those same positions one day. Hearing real-life success stories is incredibly inspiring; it gives hope to future generations that they too can strive for excellence in their chosen profession regardless of gender or race.  

When looking at the current state of gender equality in construction, the challenges it faces, and how we can work to achieve true inclusion despite quotas and other measures put in place by some companies, real change will only come when organisations make systemic changes that affect all employees. This includes promoting a sustainable career path for women in construction and retrofit, which starts with the basics: equal pay and career development opportunities. A more sustainable approach to achieving gender equality in construction lies in the representation of women within the workforce and in creating an environment where they feel supported to stay in the industry.