Latest news with #womeninconstruction
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Construction firms won't let me work because I'm a girl'
A stonemasonry student said companies had told her she could not join the profession "because she's a girl". Alice, who is 17, was one of the students who took part in a competition for apprentices at Moulton College in Northampton on Thursday. Industry experts have said 19,750 extra construction workers are needed in the East of England by 2028 to meet government housebuilding targets. However, some students, like Alice, said they still faced barriers which made it difficult to pursue a career in construction. The SkillBuild competition, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), tested apprentices and trainees in a variety of tasks, from furniture making to tiling. Alice, from Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, inherited her interest in architecture from her grandfather and wanted to work on some of the UK's greatest stone buildings - cathedrals. But she said her journey had not been easy. "I've tried to contact some companies to get onto that kind of work, but it hasn't really worked out," she told the BBC. "The main thing is that I'm a woman and a lot of companies have told me 'you can't do this because you're a girl - you're not strong enough, you won't be able to do the heavy labour'." Another competitor, Maizie from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, wanted to encourage more women to join the industry. The 17-year-old goes to college in Colchester and said: "In my class it's actually a pretty good mix, but in the industry as a whole, it's definitely a big imbalance. "People need to realise the value of these industries, and we need to push more young people to go into it. It can be a bit inaccessible at the beginning, especially for young people, since working in these workshop environments can be quite dangerous." The first obstacle in the competition for Rugby man Sean, 18, was having to "scavenge" for the right tools to make a porch roof, having brought the wrong ones. The bigger issue for him, generally, was the lack of opportunities for young people. He said: "There's not enough apprenticeships - it took me two years to get here, and I feel like that's one of the biggest problems. "The amount of houses they're trying to build; they definitely need more apprenticeships." A CITB report published this month said 19,750 new workers were needed in the region. Robert Smith, from the CITB, said "we really need to make that attractive so that they know there are jobs for the future, secure opportunities and great career pathways". The figures suggest there is a long way to go before there is a gender balance in the industry. According to The Office for National Statistics, women comprise just 15.8% of the construction workforce and only 2% of workers onsite. There is some hope, though, with the number of women as a proportion of the overall construction workforce increasing by 36.9% since 2012. The government said construction would be one area to benefit from a "record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'I went from studying fine art to tiling floors' Trainee brickie urges more women to consider trade Calls for gender balance in construction industry Moulton College Construction Industry Training Board
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Construction firms won't let me work because I'm a girl'
A stonemasonry student said companies had told her she could not join the profession "because she's a girl". Alice, who is 17, was one of the students who took part in a competition for apprentices at Moulton College in Northampton on Thursday. Industry experts have said 19,750 extra construction workers are needed in the East of England by 2028 to meet government housebuilding targets. However, some students, like Alice, said they still faced barriers which made it difficult to pursue a career in construction. The SkillBuild competition, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), tested apprentices and trainees in a variety of tasks, from furniture making to tiling. Alice, from Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, inherited her interest in architecture from her grandfather and wanted to work on some of the UK's greatest stone buildings - cathedrals. But she said her journey had not been easy. "I've tried to contact some companies to get onto that kind of work, but it hasn't really worked out," she told the BBC. "The main thing is that I'm a woman and a lot of companies have told me 'you can't do this because you're a girl - you're not strong enough, you won't be able to do the heavy labour'." Another competitor, Maizie from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, wanted to encourage more women to join the industry. The 17-year-old goes to college in Colchester and said: "In my class it's actually a pretty good mix, but in the industry as a whole, it's definitely a big imbalance. "People need to realise the value of these industries, and we need to push more young people to go into it. It can be a bit inaccessible at the beginning, especially for young people, since working in these workshop environments can be quite dangerous." The first obstacle in the competition for Rugby man Sean, 18, was having to "scavenge" for the right tools to make a porch roof, having brought the wrong ones. The bigger issue for him, generally, was the lack of opportunities for young people. He said: "There's not enough apprenticeships - it took me two years to get here, and I feel like that's one of the biggest problems. "The amount of houses they're trying to build; they definitely need more apprenticeships." A CITB report published this month said 19,750 new workers were needed in the region. Robert Smith, from the CITB, said "we really need to make that attractive so that they know there are jobs for the future, secure opportunities and great career pathways". The figures suggest there is a long way to go before there is a gender balance in the industry. According to The Office for National Statistics, women comprise just 15.8% of the construction workforce and only 2% of workers onsite. There is some hope, though, with the number of women as a proportion of the overall construction workforce increasing by 36.9% since 2012. The government said construction would be one area to benefit from a "record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'I went from studying fine art to tiling floors' Trainee brickie urges more women to consider trade Calls for gender balance in construction industry Moulton College Construction Industry Training Board
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Stonemasonry apprentice says firms reject her for being a girl
A stonemasonry student said companies had told her she could not join the profession "because she's a girl".Alice, who is 17, was one of the students who took part in a competition for apprentices at Moulton College in Northampton on experts have said 19,750 extra construction workers are needed in the East of England by 2028 to meet government housebuilding some students, like Alice, said they still faced barriers which made it difficult to pursue a career in construction. The SkillBuild competition, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), tested apprentices and trainees in a variety of tasks, from furniture making to from Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, inherited her interest in architecture from her grandfather and wanted to work on some of the UK's greatest stone buildings - she said her journey had not been easy."I've tried to contact some companies to get onto that kind of work, but it hasn't really worked out," she told the BBC."The main thing is that I'm a woman and a lot of companies have told me 'you can't do this because you're a girl - you're not strong enough, you won't be able to do the heavy labour'." Another competitor, Maizie from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, wanted to encourage more women to join the 17-year-old goes to college in Colchester and said: "In my class it's actually a pretty good mix, but in the industry as a whole, it's definitely a big imbalance. "People need to realise the value of these industries, and we need to push more young people to go into it. It can be a bit inaccessible at the beginning, especially for young people, since working in these workshop environments can be quite dangerous." The first obstacle in the competition for Rugby man Sean, 18, was having to "scavenge" for the right tools to make a porch roof, having brought the wrong bigger issue for him, generally, was the lack of opportunities for young people. He said: "There's not enough apprenticeships - it took me two years to get here, and I feel like that's one of the biggest problems."The amount of houses they're trying to build; they definitely need more apprenticeships." A CITB report published this month said 19,750 new workers were needed in the Smith, from the CITB, said "we really need to make that attractive so that they know there are jobs for the future, secure opportunities and great career pathways".The figures suggest there is a long way to go before there is a gender balance in the to The Office for National Statistics, women comprise just 15.8% of the construction workforce and only 2% of workers is some hope, though, with the number of women as a proportion of the overall construction workforce increasing by 36.9% since government said construction would be one area to benefit from a "record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Washington Post
12-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Amid Trump's battle against DEI, nonprofits filling critical labor gaps are caught in the crossfire
CHICAGO — Recruiting women into construction has for years been a painstaking but broadly popular effort, with growing bipartisan and industry support amid persistent labor shortages. But President Donald Trump's aim to stamp out diversity and inclusion programs threaten to cripple community-based organizations that have been critical to that goal. The Trump administration has moved swiftly to cut off federal funding to dozens of community groups that implement programs on the ground, including apprenticeship readiness programs designed for women, anti-harassment training, and child care and transportation support for workers who need them.
CBC
10-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
GTA non-profit introduces women's cohort in construction training program
Seven women in the Greater Toronto Area are on their way to new careers in the skilled trades, thanks to a local, specialty training program. Blue Door's Construct program graduated its first cohort of all women last month — a milestone moment for the housing and employment non-profit, which aims to create more opportunities for women in the skilled trades. "I really enjoy using the machines and being able to create something with my own hands," said Nikki Wallis, who recently completed the program in Aurora, Ont., funded in part by the federal government's Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy. "I'm not a very confident person, I'm quite shy, but learning the trades I was able to open up more and try new things," she said. The eight-week program includes in-class training, on-the-job work experience and wraparound supports to help vulnerable people secure long-term, well-paying careers in the construction trades. Since women made up about five per cent of construction workers on-site nationally in 2024, according to the Canadian Association of Women in Construction — and despite industry efforts to hire more women — the program's leaders are hoping the women's cohort will create more opportunities to bring women into the industry, while learning in a safe space. The Construct program is expected to have around 270 participants total this year, says Emmy Kelly, chief operating officer of Blue Door, and the next women-only cohort is slated to begin in June. "We want to increase the number of women who have the opportunity to move into the labour trades and to do so this program provides support with child care, with transport, with any other needs that they might have to engage in the workforce," she said. Kelly says the program also recognizes a void in the labour market, with the federal government saying in a March news release that the construction industry needs to recruit more than 350,000 new workers by 2033 to meet the demand of infrastructure, housing and industrial projects. Employers need to focus on retention, women in the industry say More programs that support training and recruitment have been making strides the last few years, but industry leaders say employers need to prioritize retaining female employees as well. "Often women have the caregiver role in a family and so that can prevent them from engaging meaningfully because of barriers that are put there by employers," Kelly said, adding that the hours and lack of flexibility can make it difficult to support a family. Constanza Maass, an environmental specialist, says she co-founded Women on Site to help address this issue. The non profit's website said it was founded in 2022 by four women in the industry who recognized the need for connection and support within the building industries. The group encourages women and gender diverse individuals to stay and thrive in their male-dominated careers through networking, mentorship and community building opportunities. "Once we all got out into the field and started working, we realized that all the support that we had once we were done training wasn't really there anymore," Maass said, adding she was close to leaving to industry. "Women need to feel like they have a community, support and people that they can talk to, so that we're not losing all these people that we spent a lot of work and money and effort into training," she said. Narin Ismail, who also graduated from the first women's cohort last month, says her goal is to become a carpenter — something she says she would have pursued earlier if more programs like this existed. But she says when she was in high school, there wasn't the same push to get women into the trades that there is now. She encouraged any other women interested in the field to check out Blue Door's program. "If you're a woman and you want to get into the trades, it's not too late," she said. "I think there are many opportunities for women out there, we can do it."
