With only 12 percent of women making up its workforce, it’s no secret that the construction industry is a boy’s club.

The real story is that despite their best efforts, neither government nor industry can shift the stubbornly entrenched gender ratio. Even in the face of a higher-than-average earnings potential and a critical shortage of skilled workers, a career in construction fails to have widespread appeal to women, resulting in a serious imbalance that is steadily getting worse.

The current lack of qualified workers is so acute it’s estimated that by 2023 there’ll be 105,000 jobs that won’t be filled. To further compound the issue, forecasts by IHS Markit show total real construction industry spending is expected to grow by 3.5 percent in 2022 to reach 4.2 percent by 2024, meaning that one of Australia’s biggest employers will continue to suffer from a lack of skilled labour without some form of serious intervention.

The joint NSW and Victorian government initiative of a Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) along with its budget of $20.2 million is laudable, but addressing root causes takes more than just band aid solutions like committing to remove offensive materials and providing safe toilets and change rooms. In any other workplace or industry these things are rightfully taken for granted as a matter of course; only in construction do such actions merit a mention.

And when at least 51 percent of women working in building and construction have experienced sexual harassment at work, safer toilets and the absence of offensive materials is hardly a vote of confidence for working in construction.

NSW metropolitan roads minister Natalie Ward admitted women can be subject to “sexist slurs, offensive graffiti and second-rate amenities,” but hoped the NSW government’s trial of its new Culture Standard at two construction sites will persuade women to change their minds about working in construction. The reality is women are keen to work, but they’re unlikely to jump on board if they perceive the industry to be irredeemably hostile to their interests.

Beyond a more female friendly culture and equal pay, effort needs to be directed towards fostering an interest in construction from a young age, increasing the opportunity for young women and girls to have practical experience in the industry and making mentors and role models more accessible.

Why women and girls are shunning careers in construction

As other traditionally male-dominated industries like law and finance rapidly undergo image rehabilitation to meet the 21st century standard, construction is consistently being left behind – and it’s not always because of lack of effort on the part of employers.

Recent research into the issue revealed girls believe they would ‘not be respected’ and felt they would be ‘intimidated’ and discriminated against if they worked in construction. These negative perceptions are deeply held, and the stereotype that construction is all about manual labour, high vis gear and blokeyness is pervasive.

Without female role models to look to and no chance to experience the modern construction industry or learn about the variety of roles it offers, women and girls can’t even picture themselves in a successful career in construction. On the other hand, examples of blatant discrimination are rampant and do little to assuage women’s doubts and fears about the sector.

The double dilemma is that many women don’t desire a job in construction in the first place, and many of those that are in the industry don’t feel welcomed either. According to a 2020 study on women in construction by RMIT, women’s professional capabilities were regularly ‘scrutinised, questioned or devalued’. They subsequently felt the need to work harder than male co-workers to prove themselves; mistakes were put down to their gender and complaints about poor treatment would frequently lead to further victimisation.

Even the matter of entry into construction is rife with pitfalls – from the recruitment process which is often through informal networks and word of mouth recommendations to the way apprenticeships are set up routinely disadvantage women over men.

Building better pathways into construction for women.

For there to be long-lasting change, legislators and industry must take a ‘ground-up’ approach where young women and girls are exposed to the various roles available in construction. Not only does there need to be education and awareness starting from an early age of the girls themselves, parents, educators, and career counsellors also need to be made aware of the rich opportunities that exist within the field.

Construction is not just limited to plumbing, carpentry, or electrical and mechanical work; there are positions in project management, engineering, land surveying, commercial management and more. Beyond apprenticeships, alternative pathways into the industry include university, internships, and TAFE. As it stands, career counsellors are poorly informed about career options in modern construction and many fail to share them with young women at the same rate as young men.

Increasing the opportunities for young women and girls to have practical experience in the industry also makes sense here. To get them feeling comfortable enough to pursue a career in construction, there needs to be more tailored programs to help female entrants develop the skills, knowledge and contacts needed to progress. Developing apprenticeships to suit more women including mature age candidates is another way to boost female participation in construction and trades.

Last of all, making female mentors and role models more accessible to women and girls gives them a valuable point of reference in a majority-male environment. It is grassroots member-led support that will help affirm women’s value in construction and enable them to truly thrive. If women and girls can have direct exposure to the industry from a younger age and access to a wide range of mentors and role models, they’ll feel more confident and well-equipped to take on its challenges.

Without sustained effort to demolish the fundamental barriers women and girls face in entering construction, the government is unlikely to achieve its goal of boosting female participation by 15% by 2030. Culture Taskforce or not, the end result will just be more of the same.

By Amanda Rose, Founding Director of Western Sydney Women

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