Can Female Apprentices Fill The Skills Gap?

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40% of construction workers want to retire before 2030 – leading to a record skills deficit. The only bright spot on the horizon is 66% of young women are now open to working in the sector.

22,700 people took up construction apprenticeship positions between 2022 and 2023. Recent analysis reveals that more young women are beginning careers in the construction industry than ever before. Despite this growth, there is still considerable work required to enhance diversity within the construction sector.

Are we Gen Z ready?

Clive Holland, a broadcaster on Fix Radio – the UK's only national radio station dedicated to tradespeople – says: “According to Morgan Siddall's report ‘Are we Gen Z ready?’, 57% of women and girls are deterred from pursuing careers in construction due to their perception of it as male-dominated. Supporting this notion, data published by the Women’s Engineering Society indicates that only 12.37% of engineers in the UK are female.

“The construction sector still falls far behind other industries in terms of gender balance, with only 14.7% of those employed in the industry being women, nearly 33% lower than the UK average.”

The state of construction apprenticeships

In the last five years, there has been little improvement in apprenticeship uptake – there is a shortage of 225,000 tradespeople in construction and trades in the UK. 83% of construction businesses are currently strained by a lack of skilled workers, according to a survey by Search Consultancy.

Holland adds: “Data from the Department for Education has revealed that the number of completed apprenticeships in England fell from 12,420 in 2018 to 7,700 in 2022. To put this issue under the microscope, 17,500 people apply for apprenticeships as electricians every year, yet only 2,500 pass their courses annually, while a further 8,000 electricians leave the industry each year.

“Our industry is losing record numbers of colleagues, with nowhere near enough new recruits entering the trade.”

Fix Radio

Fix Radio is available on DAB. The station’s schedule includes some of the biggest talent in the industry, including social media influencers the Bald Builders, Clive Holland of the BBC and formerly Cowboy Trap, the country’s most famous plasterer Chris Frediani from DIY SOS, plumbing influencer Andy Cam, electrician turned YouTuber Thomas Nagy, carpenter, craftsman and social media influencer Robin Clevett and TV presenter and builder, Mark Millar – who also advocates for Made For Trade and the company’s Korniche roof lanterns, skylights and bi-folding doors.

Picture: 66% of young women are now open to working in the construction sector.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
25th March 2024

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