The construction industry offers excellent prospects and a career for life therefore JTL are encouraging more women to join the sector.
Although construction roles have traditionally been more male-dominated, recent statistics demonstrate that this may be beginning to shift – something that JTL has been actively encouraging for years, even achieving Gold Level re-accreditation from Committed2Equality in 2020. There are now almost twice as many women working in trade professions in the UK compared to ten years ago, however a 2020 YouGov survey* commissioned by JTL highlighted that only 5% of females aged 15 to 18 felt they had been encouraged to become a skilled tradesperson, compared to 14% of males.
Corrina Bailey, plumbing and heating apprentice here at JTL, speaks about her experience as a female working in trade: “Sometimes, you get a look of surprise when you turn up at the customer’s door, but I’ve only ever had a positive response from them.
“Right now, girls are not encouraged to become plumbers or electricians as they should be. In my view, I think it would be great if girls were invited in for a day to experience what the job involves and what it can offer. And if any of them then decided to embark on this career, I would tell them to ignore the naysayers and just follow their hearts. They won’t regret it.”
You can read Corrina’s full learner story here.
Operating in a sector that is 98% male, JTL is proud to have a workforce across all roles that is 30% female, with an even split in terms of males and females who work part-time for the organisation. Julie Asher-Smith, JTL’s HR Director, says: “It’s all about raising awareness, challenging stereotypes and helping young women understand the very real benefits of becoming a trade professional.
“We are committed to engaging with schools, changing perceptions in the sector itself and making it clear that females are every bit as good at these jobs as their male counterparts.”
JTL is currently seeing an increase in demand for female apprentices, and it is positive to see so many employers supporting women in the industry – however, the demand currently exceeds the supply.
Last month to mark International Women’s Day apprentices and staff from JTL took part in a webinar hosted by CareerMap discussing why more females should consider careers as electricans and plumbers. You can watch the webinar here:
https://jtltraining.com/news/international-womens-day-watch-the-careermap-webinar/
