Image Source: Benjamin J. Delong
The construction industry in the UK is worth a reported £1.5 billion, making up a tenth of our total GDP. Even with these impressive numbers, there remains a shortage of skilled people to keep up with the demand, from builders and electricians to carpenters and plumbers.
This situation has given women the chance to dive in, grab the opportunities and plug the skills shortage. Despite the Equal Opportunities Commission reporting that only 9% of the 1.4 million people that work in the building industry are female, there is growing evidence that women could be about to change the face of the industry.
Market conditions
The economic climate has had a profound effect on the jobs market and many women are reconsidering the type of job that they want to go into. Research by the NICEIC found that, out of 3,000 women aged between 16 and 24, 63% were considering learning a trade, believing it to offer better job security and a skill that would stay with them for life.
Statistics published in 2012 further support this, with reports that JIT, a leading training provider for the building sector, had 30 women sign up for their plumbing and electrical apprenticeships in 2008 compared to just six in 2001. Similarly, UK Trades Training reported that only one woman enrolled for their tiling course in 2004, whereas they have boasted numbers close to 30 for the last few years.
Choosing to create start-ups rather than join firms
The recession and subsequent redundancies has meant many people, including women, have had to re-evaluate their career choices and options. As more women are choosing to enter the trades when there are a shortage of jobs with some firms still reluctant to hire women in a male-dominated industry, many freshly retrained women are choosing to start their own business.
Mandy Reynolds, owner and creator of Mand Made, describes her experience after retraining as an electrician after 20 years working in financial services. “I started Mand Made in 2006 when I finished my electro-technical course and found nobody would take me on as trainee. I’d spent thousands of pounds on the course, so I wasn’t about to throw the towel in”.
Market Demand
Alongside Mandy many women are starting their own businesses, leading to an increase in the number of female only firms operating, including Pink Plumbers and the fabulously named Stopcocks. The success of such firms is being sealed by a target market that is beginning to demand female tradespeople with 50% women feeling more comfortable hiring a female contractor.
Further evidence on how such firms could change the face of the trades is provided by similar, research undertaken by Direct Line for Business. When a select sample was asked if they thought female tradespeople did better than their male counterparts, 45% said they believed women would provide a better service.
This is an aspect Karen Boom of She’s Electric is keen to focus on in the provision of her services. “My business model is based on providing exceptional levels of customer service. The favourite part of my job is when people thank me and tell me how pleased they are with the work I have done”.
Additionally, with the volume of bad press surrounding so called cowboy-traders, there is a general level of mistrust of people working in the industry, and for so long that industry has been predominately men. Practices such as charging extortionate rates just for a quote and only agreeing to doing jobs large enough to be ‘worth their while’ have only served to exacerbate this negative image.
Kirsty from Kirsty Cockerill Electrical is keen to highlight how the services that she offers are the perfect antidote for consumers who have grown tired from such practices. “I offer all domestic electrical services to my customers, operating with a ‘no job too small’ policy. I also offer free quotes and advice, with transparency in the way that I work and present information to my customers.”
The world is changing and even the most previously male-dominated industries are seeing more female faces joining their ranks. If you haven’t considered a trade as a career purely because you’re a woman, then perhaps it’s time to think again. You could become part of the revolution.
If you are a woman thinking of learning a trade or a customer that has used the services of a female tradesperson, please share your experiences in the comments section below.
Estelle Page is an interior designer who has worked alongside the trades of many years and is pleased to see more and more women tackling the gender divide.
Featured images: License: Creative Commons image source
Marty Huggins
