There are many industries that could be deemed as being male dominated, but few as much as construction.
Howells Patent Glazing, a family run industrial firm based in the Midlands want to show the trade that things are changing, and women are finding niches in every industry, including construction, showcasing the importance of inclusion.
According to UCATT, only 11% of the construction workforce is female, and only 1% of workers on site are women. In fact, the Office for National Statistics states that the number of women working as roofers, bricklayers and glaziers is so low, the numbers are unmeasurable. However, Howells Patent Glazing have proved that the statistics are changing, and it isn’t all ‘doom and gloom’.
Tracey Jackson, marketing manager at Howells Patent Glazing said, “Whether you are a woman or a man, there is room for you within the construction industry. If you are a woman, then picking the job, and company for you will be your first hurdle, but your success will completely be down to your tenacity and dedication to pursuing and developing your skill set.
"There is a lot of support out there and we’re hoping to help women access the tools they need to ‘get ahead’ within construction. As a business, Howells Patent Glazing have always been a gender neutral business, and we’re hoping that by encouraging women to pursue a career in the industry, we can help to break some of the barriers that women feel are holding them back.”
Ranstad’s study ‘Women in the UK Construction Industry 2016’ states that, by 2020, women are expected to make up at least a quarter of the construction workforce. The study also indicates that women’s pay packets rose by 6% per year between 2005 and 2015, and the number of females in senior roles within the industry was up to 16% in 2015. A quarter of those in senior management roles earned more than £75,000 and 2% earned over £100,000 per year.
The advice from Howells Patent Glazing is that businesses are the ones who need to take charge and drive change in order to attract more women into the industry. There’s currently a skills shortage within construction and Howells believe that fellow companies need to harness and nurture the dynamics that women can bring to a workforce, in order to fill the void and bring the industry into the 21st century working environment.
