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PRO INSTALLER JULY 2016
PRO RECRUITMENT
@proinstaller1
WHERE ARE ALL THE
WOMEN IN TRADE?
Homeowners may have noticed
that when hiring someone to fix or
install something, more often than
not it’s a male tradesperson coming
to do the work. They might be a bit
surprised to find a woman at the
door with a tool box or a hard hat.
Typically, construction
is one of the most
male-dominated careers, but it is slowly
becoming less gender-specific. There is
an increasing demand
for women in construction, in the same way
that female-only taxi
companies were set up
to address the preference by some female
passengers for female
drivers.
The not for profit organisation TrustMark has noticed
that some homeowners feel
more comfortable having
a woman in their property than a man, but it can
be tricky to find a female
tradesperson in the first
place.
‘whilst only 20%
of construction
jobs are held
by women, 76%
of those would
recommend it as
a career to family
and friends’
There’s also a lot to be
gained from a career in the
trade industry as trade jobs
are typically more stable
than many other careers.
There’s a lot of satisfaction
to be gained from being
self- employed – picking
your own hours and annual
leave, and having more
control over the amount you
earn than a contracted 9-5
job. In addition, research
published last year reported
that whilst only 20% of construction jobs are held by
women, 76% of those would
recommend it as a career to
family and friends.
DEMAND FOR FEMALE
TRADESPEOPLE
There are plenty of
eye-catching statistics which
should encourage women
into trade. 54% of people
feel safer in the house with
a skilled female tradesperson than male. Plumbing
has been one of the key
areas of growth for females
in the last couple of years.
Whilst there is clearly an
under-representation of
women in this sector (approximately 0.4 women for
every 10 men), more women are training as plumbers
now than ever before, and
there is growing support
out there for women to train
as plumbers. TrustMark
spoke to two women working in different trades:
EMILY ENGLISH,
CO-FOUNDER OF
‘ENGLISH, BARRETT
& GREY’, LONDON
Member firm of Dulux
Select Decorators
“I have been a decorator
for 29 years. I set up my
business English Barrett
& Gray with two female
friends, Emma Barrett and
Penny Gray. I decorate in
‘I wanted
to prove
them wrong
and I did’
the day but also do quotes
in the evenings. I was never
academic or someone who
could cope with being stuck
in the same office, day in
and day out. I’ve always
loved doing a physical job
and being in a different area
of London every couple of
weeks. Nothing is better
than turning an old rundown house into something
beautiful again. I still get a
buzz from that. I was often
told that decorating wasn’t
for women – it was only
men who ever said that –
well I wanted to prove them
wrong and I did.”
REBECCA WOOLLEY,
MANAGING DIRECTOR
OF ‘THE CONSTANT
GARDENER’, ESSEX
Member firm of
the Association
of Professional
Landscapers
“I run my own garden
design, construction and
maintenance business. It
started as a hobby and
grew into a successful
business. Being a woman in trade certainly gets
commented on from clients
and other tradespeople.
Female clients are usually
very welcoming and I win
a lot of business when
dealing directly with the
lady of the house. I have
continued to grow the
business for the past eight
years and last year I was
listed on the Fortuna 50 Index of the fastest growing
female-led small businesses. The best advice I would
give to other women thinking of entering into a trade
is to go for it. Women are
brilliant at detailed work
and a lot of trades need
this skill. I always employ
women when I can for my
business due to their fantastic attention to detail.”
WHAT DOES THE
FUTURE HOLD?
Stereotypes are always
difficult to break, but with
schemes like NICEIC’s
‘Jobs for the girls’, there is
undoubtedly growing encouragement and supportive networks for women
interested in entering
skilled trades. In February
2016, Islington council ran
a free DIY ‘taster session’
for women to try out
plumbing. This was offered
as part of a wider initiative
to encourage women to
learn new skills, save money and potentially pursue a
career in the trade industry. We hope to see more
of these sorts of schemes
emerging across various
trades later this year.
TrustMark has a number of firms set up and
run by women and runs
wwww.trustmark.org.uk
where people can find
quality, vetted tradespeople in their area working
to Government-endorsed
standards.