Let's hear it for the girls

Construction minister Brian Wilson told delegates at a Women and Manual Trades conference last month that the government wants to see the number of tradeswomen in the industry reach 5% by 2005. Currently the figure is a mere 1%.

This will be hard work. In the past three years alone, the number of women in the construction industry as a whole has risen by just 1% to 9.8%.

So does the industry recognise that there is a problem? And if it does, exactly what is being done about it?

Michael Ankers, Construction Products Association chief executive and Strategic Forum member, is adamant that industry is aware of the benefits women can bring. Attracting women is a key element of the Forum's Accelerating Change document, the sequel to Rethinking Construction, due to be published in August.

"Encouraging women into the industry is vital and we have recognised that by including it in the third element of the report - the need to address people issues," he told CJ.

"Having diversity in any industry is absolutely essential and we want to encourage all people, including women and ethnic minorities."

The fact that Elizabeth Whatmore now heads the Construction Sector Unit at the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) should also send positive signals to the industry.

A DTI spokesman said: "With better organisation, an increased regard for health and safety and a proactive recruitment agenda, the industry can start to attract women into its workforce."

Bovis Lend Lease spokesman Andrew Bond echoed the DTI's views: "The big question is how we can attract more people, regardless of gender, into the industry.

"At project management level Bovis has probably got more female staff than the average contractor, but we'd still like more.

"Most of our female project management staff are recruited at undergraduate stage. We bring them on board and sponsor them through their studies."

Attracting more women is also a key part of Construction Industry Training Board's (CITB) Diversity Strategy 2002 to 2006.

"We have a target of an annual 10% increase in New Entrant Training places for women and black and Asian people aged 16 to 25," said a CITB spokesman.

"This is accompanied by careers and marketing positive image programmes to engage these young people in a career in construction."

The CITB also targets girls aged 13 to 15 in school [as well as young black and Asian people of the same age] for its Curriculum Centre Partnership work, and organises events aimed at these groups during National Construction Week.

It told CJ that it is also looking to continue to develop the work begun in 2001 on the Local Collaborative Partnership projects - the aim of which is to create up to 200 new jobs from the projects in 2002.

Last month, the CITB also announced it was asking local employers to consider taking on tradeswomen over the age of 25. In return, it will assist with grants for training.

Contractors seem to be doing their bit - with two of the industry's biggest leading the way.

Last year, a Mowlem project in Oldham hit the headlines because 40% of the workforce was female.

And earlier this year, Mansell recognised the benefits of recruiting women by taking on five women in positions previously only held by men.

Add to this the constant campaigns by the likes of Building Work for Women and Women & Manual Trades, and the chances of reaching the set targets are very encouraging indeed.