Construction sector gender gap: Women are only 15 per cent of workforce but that’s changing - slowly

From a general labourer to a gib fixer and building apprentice, Alice Cotter is just one of the about 7 per cent of those gaining qualifications in the trade who are women.

Only about 15 per cent of people in the $18.1 billion construction sector are female and while numbers are up, there are sector-wide initiatives underway aimed at further closing the gap. Leaders say the sector wants to “do better” and more diversity could help address labour shortages.

Cotter said she decided to pursue a building career to use her “brain a bit more”, despite loving her previous jobs.

She started with Hawes Building Solutions in Tauranga about 18 months ago and has not looked back.

“There’s a lot of variation and no day is the same. I’m not the type of a person to sit at a desk all day so I like that it is physical and there is so much to learn.”

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Alice Cotter is a builders apprentice in Tauranga. 14 September 2023 The Bay of Plenty Times Photo / Alex Cairns

Working with an otherwise all-male team was “awesome” and the 23-year-old could see the irony after going to an all-girls school and playing football in an all-girls team.

“I think it’s funny as women have the stereotype of being dramatic and cliquey … but it definitely goes both ways. Having the right crew to work with is definitely the key.”

In the future, Cotter hoped to start her own business. Her boss Mark Hawe said Cotter — who came recommended by a sparkie — was doing well on the tools and brought a new dynamic to the team.

Rebecca Chamberlain never dreamed she would work with her dad Ian at his Taupō carpentry and joinery business but now she could not imagine doing anything else.

The 21-year-old, third-year building apprentice said she fell into the career following Covid and it was going very well.

Being the daughter’s boss and in a male-dominated industry had challenges but Chamberlain said she had learnt to put up with a bit of stick and could hold her own on the tools.

Rebecca Chamberlain is a third-year building apprentice.

“I am having so much fun and it’s amazing. We are a smaller company so we are not all about new builds, we do a lot of renovations and small alterations. I’ve been doing bathroom rip-outs with another guy and I really enjoy doing those.”

She was sick of people asking if she would take over the company reins someday but said the idea was growing on her.

“I’m thinking that would be really, really cool, it’s a long way off but who knows, it could be in the pipeline.”

New Zealand Certified Builders mentor Niamh Short said in her experience, the skills required to run successful job sites were not gender-specific.

“Men and women alike are diverse in what they are good at.

“Hard workers and good learners can excel in those, regardless of gender or anything else.”

The organisation had established an Apprentice Network to provide wrap-around educational and wellbeing support to apprentices.

Another initiative, Train the Trainer, was designed to teach employers and support apprentices through a series of modules.

The mother-of-three from Wellington was in her early 30s when she qualified and went on to start her own business. Short was inspired by her builder father-in-law and her own house renovation experience.

New Zealand Certified Builders mentor Niamh Short.

“I did labouring for about six months before deciding to sign up for an apprenticeship. I had to get over my own gendered voice in my head, telling me this isn’t what stay-at-home mums do.

“I loved being on site, I loved the physicality, the mental challenge, the on-site banter and the creativity.”

Diversity was a gain, however you looked at it, she said.

“Learning from others, watching how they problem-solve or tackle situations advantages everyone in the long run.”

Registered Master Builders’ head of strategy and advocacy, Sarah Walker said it supported the drive for greater diversity and inclusion in the building and construction sector – because it only led to positive outcomes.

“We are, however, cognisant there’s a long way to go – especially when it comes to female representation. Master Builders is also committed to ensuring our members see the value in nurturing and supporting women into leadership roles, because to make real headway we need others rallying behind the cause.”

She said it was critical to train and retain good people to address labour shortages, and increasing diversity deepened the talent pool and made the sector more attractive to career-seekers.

National Association of Women in Construction media and communications manager Jen Tyson said the issue was not just about women.

“It’s about our economy and addressing general skills shortages in construction. It’s about getting women of all ethnicities into productive careers that pay well, are rewarding and can help to build our nation.”

The association had more than 1600 members and was growing. They included quantity surveyors, project managers, suppliers, planners, designers, architects, engineers, tradespeople, students, apprentices, health and safety managers and lawyers.

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Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), Te Pūkenga director Greg Durkin said in 2015 fewer than 1 per cent of building and construction apprentices were women. Now nearly 7 per cent of carpentry, painting and decorating, and timber joinery apprentices were female.

He said growth stagnated slightly in the last three years, with female apprentice numbers remaining just over 1000 while males were closer to 19,000.

“We want to do better as a sector … supporting female apprentices to ensure a diverse sector and a strong pipeline of talent.”

It recently launched the Women in Trades Campaign which aimed to empower and encourage women to pursue building and construction careers, breaking barriers and fostering gender diversity in traditionally male-dominated fields.

By 2025, BCITO aimed for women to make up 10 per cent of apprentices and 30 per cent in construction trades.

Toi Ohomai Te Pūkenga head of marketing, engagement and communication Jessica Barnett said women were valued in the trades.

“They are recognised for being quick and eager learners, work well with their peers, and show good attention to detail.”

It had 243 carpentry, construction, engineering and electrical students last year and 17 per cent were female. In 2021 there were 231 students, 14 per cent female.

This year it introduced Wāhine Māia, which opened space for women in trades programmes to come together regularly and hear from guest speakers about pathways and the realities of working in male-dominated environments.

The Building and Construction Sector Trends 2022 report by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment showed only 15 per cent of the industry’s workforce were women.

However, between 2012 and 2022, the number of female workers rose 93.7 per cent to 20,500 of the 295,300-strong workforce.

The industry contributed $18.1b to the economy and construction trades workers accounted for 32.4 per cent of the total construction workforce. Of those, the most common occupations were: electricians (20 per cent); bricklayers, carpenters and joiners (16.7 per cent); and plumbers (15.7 per cent) in the year ended March 2022.

Carmen Hall is a news director for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, covering business and general news. She has been a Voyager Media Awards winner and a journalist for 25 years.