Construction keeps fishing in the same shrinking talent pool, says Jen Radcliffe, head of partnerships at PfP Thrive – part of Places for People. It’s time the industry looked at the workforce it’s been overlooking.
Our sector talks a lot about the construction skills shortage, but we still have a problem. The latest construction forecast from the CITB estimates the industry will need 41,200 extra workers a year between 2026 and 2030, while our research at Places for People found that we will need one million extra workers by 2032.
There are government plans in place, technical qualifications for young people and devolved skills budgets, but with growth expected to return from 2027, we can’t place too much hope in the same recruitment routes and expect different results.
As for female representation, women make up just 15% of the construction workforce – most of them in professional and office roles rather than onsite. In trades, women make up just 1.68% of plumbers, carpenters, builders and electricians. ONS data, analysed in this very magazine, shows that while women in professional construction roles have increased over the past decade, the number in skilled trades has fallen by around 18%.
That doesn’t tell me women aren’t interested; I think there’s an entire untapped cohort of potential tradespeople who have never been given the inspiration, representation or route into construction.
Pathways for BuildHERs
I see this every day at PfP Thrive, where we train people of all ages and backgrounds, from on-the-job trade skills like plastering, tiling and electrics, right through to customer service qualifications. Since opening our trade skills hub last autumn, we’ve helped thousands of people from all over the country gain qualifications.
Some of the most powerful responses have come from opening our doors specifically to women. The most recent was BuildHER in partnership with Novus, a free six-week programme for women of all backgrounds looking for a career change.
The response has been remarkable, with each woman throwing themselves into the opportunity to take on a trade. Some arrived completely undeterred by construction’s male-dominated reputation – including our student Tolu, who said: “I’m a tomboy kind of person, so I’ve always been around men and don’t feel unsafe or out of place. Whatever they can do, I can do better as well.”
Others came with more caution, but with real determination to break down barriers. Our student Natalie O’Neill saw BuildHER as far more than learning a new skill, instead seeing the course as an opportunity to close a gap in the sector. “When you need a repair done, there’s rarely the option of a female operative,” Natalie told our team. “For a lot of women, especially those who’ve experienced abuse, having a man they don’t know come into their home can be really intimidating. I want to help change that.”
Collaboration is key
So what should construction managers do differently? First, use their buying power, asking supply chains about workforce diversity and building it into procurement and social value requirements. Contractors can offer site placements, taster days and more flexible working patterns, and get the basics right, from decent welfare facilities to PPE that actually fits.
Second is collaboration. PfP Thrive has already partnered with 60+ housing associations to work together and train their workforces to address skills gaps – an evidence-based process that gives customers what they want – including more female trades.
Most importantly, though, managers and consultants at every level should be held accountable for mentoring. We think championing emerging talent should be part of every role, measured, rewarded and taken as seriously as winning work. Relationships are often what bring people into this industry – our 2024 research with the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research cited an Australian study showing that close personal connections with people already working in construction play a key role in women’s recruitment. If those connections make the difference, then building them can’t be left to chance.
I’m proud of what my organisation is doing in this field, but we can’t keep losing talent because women can’t see a place for themselves in it. Our job is to show them they belong here, that they won’t be alone and that the future of this industry includes them.
