Recent Study Provides Best Practices for Recruiting, Training + Retaining Women in Building Trades

The residential construction industry is battling a severe talent shortage. To help the industry win this battle, Building Talent Foundation partnered with two Research Fellows to study the barriers women face when pursuing skilled trades careers. The resulting research paper, Women Breaking Barriers: A Guide to Recruiting, Training and Retaining Women in the Residential Construction Trades, explores how the industry can strengthen the workforce by tapping into an underused source of skill and expertise — women.

The report reveals the construction sector is dominated by males, with women making up just 10.9% of its workers, and representing only 3.4% of skilled tradespeople in the industry. To reduce the talent shortage within the industry, employers need to recruit more women.

Based on insights discovered through the study, BTF has released The Small Contractor Quick Start Guide to New Talent, a set of step-by-step guidelines to help construction employers create welcoming workplaces that are inclusive to women.

To read more about the barriers women face when pursuing construction industry careers and the solutions presented in this study, download Women Breaking Barriers. To learn how to create a more gender-inclusive workplace, download The Small Contractor Quick Start Guide to New Talent.