Where are the women? The trades industry reckons with the widest gender gap

This International Women’s Day, we are highlighting recent data that exposes the UK’s stark gender imbalance in the trades.

Of all skilled trades professionals – including joiners, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, improvers and carpenters – just 2% are women, making it the most male-dominated industry in the country (Kingfisher).

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, Gov.uk, Engineering UK, and the House of Commons Library:

• 9.3% of firefighters are women (Gov.uk)
• 15.7% of the UK’s engineering and technology workforce are women (Engineering UK)
• 16% of principle farmers and holders are female (Gov.uk) 
• 17% of jobs in the mining and quarrying industry are held by women (House of Commons)
• 25% of employees in transportation and storage are women (House of Commons Library)
• 26% of the manufacturing workforce is female (IfM)
• 44.6% of chartered and certified accountants are women (ONS)

Despite growing conversations around workplace diversity, ONS data shows that the number of women in skilled construction trades has remained stagnant for two decades, standing at just 298,000. (ONS).

Vicki Sanderson, Director of Repairs and Maintenance at L&Q said:

“The trades industry is a fantastic place to work, yet female representation remains alarmingly low.

These statistics have barely shifted in decades, and with an industry-wide skills shortage, we cannot afford to overlook half the population.

The housing sector has a strong track record of empowering women, and the trades should be no different. At L&Q, we are investing in over 70 apprenticeships and are committed to ensuring as many of these opportunities as possible go to women.

The trades offer rewarding careers, and we want to show everyone – regardless of gender – that this is an exciting and viable path.”

Felicity Davies, Maintenance Supervisor at L&Q, shared her experience:

“From the outside looking in, the trade felt intimidating – I worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously. That’s hardly surprising when my friends and I were encouraged to pursue careers in hairdressing, early education, and other traditionally female roles”, she reflects.

Just two years after joining L&Q, Felicity was promoted and now manages a team of 30 male operatives.

Felicity continues:

“I’ve gone from working 40+ hours a week in a pub earning £16k to finding a job that I enjoy, am good at, and that pays well. At L&Q, there’s no glass ceiling for tradeswomen.”

Research from B&Q Trade highlights the gender barriers young women face when considering a career in the trades.  Ahead of GCSE results day, half of surveyed girls aged 16-18 said they hadn’t been offered the same opportunities as their male peers - despite 4 in 10 expressing an interest in the industry while at school.

The top reasons young women cited for avoiding a trade career included:

• Lack of information provided by schools (37%)
• Perception of the industry as too male-dominated (27%)
• Feeling intimidated by the sector (23%)
• Limited apprenticeship options (21%)
• Concerns about physical strength requirements (19%).

“The UK is facing a shortfall of 166,000 tradespeople, with a third set to retire in the next decade,” Vicki added.

“Tradespeople do more than fix leaky taps or broken boilers; they are essential to achieving our housing targets. Without them, our drive to build 1.5 million new homes simply won’t happen.

This crisis will only worsen unless industry leaders, educators, and policymakers work together to attract more people into the workforce. Now is the time to break down barriers for women and prove that a career in the trades is fulfilling, flexible, and built to last”, Vicki ends.