industry news 15 COMMENT
Five reasons why UK construction needs more women
Business writer Wendy Sayer says the industry can resolve its skill shortages, while delivering a host of other benefits, by employing more women.
per cent of construction businesses that struggle to find skilled workers, and do you agree with the 72 per cent of construction companies who say there is a mismatch between capacity and availability for work? If so, here are five reasons you need to increase the gender diversity of your workforce, and some suggestions on how to do it.
T Better productivity
Employing more women in construction is not simply a matter of equality or social necessity. Diversity also makes good business sense, as Dawn Bonfield, CEO of the Women’s Engineering Society, made clear in her ‘Disruptive Diversity’ report for the Institution of Civil Engineers: ‘Lack of diversity costs the industry money in terms of lack of skills, productivity, staff safety and morale, innovation, profit and creativity.’
Better health & safety
According to Louise Ward, policy and standards director at the British Safety Council: “The indus- try’s male dominated environment has tended to breed a macho culture that encourages people to take risks. It has also contributed to promoting a negative perception of health & safety that was often identified with excessive regulation and bar- riers to progress and creative thinking. Welcoming more women into the construction industry will bring fresh perspectives and a healthier balance to prevailing attitudes that will benefit everyone employed in the sector.”
he construction industry is facing a severe skills shortage but still ignores half the workforce. Is your company one of the 82
Easier recruitment and retention
Women make up half the UK population but only 11.7 per cent of the construction workforce, and less than 2 per cent of people working in skilled manual trades. Worse still, Office of National Statistics data shows that the number of women in construction fell 16 per cent over 10 years, from 315,000 in 2006 to 265,000 in the first quarter of 2016 (the number of men fell just 4.2 per cent). That is an incredible waste of talent in an industry that according to the CITB struggles to find people with key personal skills, such as the right attitude, motivation and common sense. According to Owen Goodhead, MD of Rand-
stad’s Construction, Property and Engineering division, employing more women can “strengthen your brand” by improving your reputation for equality and diversity. That in turn can make hiring and retaining talent easier; something that will become increasingly important as the construction sector looks to create ‘a million new jobs’ by 2020.
Stronger teams
Despite improvements over the years, a survey by the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians still found sexual harassment and bullying in the construction industry. Of the women interviewed, 51 per cent said they were treated poorly at work simply because of their gender, and 40 per cent of respondents said bully- ing and harassment by managers was a problem. Overall, the survey identified three main
problems for women: poor promotion prospects, lower pay than male colleagues, and feelings of isolation.
Greater creativity
As well as improving employee behaviour, women bring skills, talents and experiences to businesses that can make teams more collaborative and creative. Teams that can draw on different perspectives generate not just more, but better ideas. This improves the ability of businesses to respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing world and marketplace. According to Women in Science and Engineer-
ing, women completed only 2 per cent (130) of the construction, planning and built environment apprenticeships in 2013/14. Men also dominated architecture, building and planning degrees in 2014, accounting for 70 per cent. The universities admission service UCAS said there were just 785 women on civil engineering degree courses in 2014, compared to 3,385 men. Construction companies committed to support-
ing diversity need to encourage more young women to study these important subjects. One way they can help is by championing schemes that try to change perceptions about the industry. Accord- ing to the National Association of Women in Construction, “careers with a strong sense of pur- pose tend to attract a larger representation of young female workers.” Firms that want to attract the new generation of
talented employees need to sell the idea of purpose, showing them where a career in construction can lead and how rewarding it can be in ways other than just financial. If they are serious about attract- ing female talent, it is also essential to demonstrate their commitment to equality and diversity, which they can do by providing greater access to training, education and employment opportunities.
Developments with a smarter edge
Boost the appeal of your luxury developments — call in our award- winning team at the outset to build the latest AV, lighting and security systems into your projects.
Find out more at
www.cyberhomes.co.uk/smart-developers 0333 344 3718
Lighting control systems • Home automation • Multi-room audio and video • CCTV and security Home cinema design/installation • Managed Wi-Fi networks • Occupancy simulation • Climate control
hello@cyberhomes.co.uk www.cyberhomes.co.uk
Enq. 105 respond online at
www.hbdonline.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60