digest
12|
More women needed in construction By Mark Wade, Director at Hays in Northern Ireland
The local construction sector is still experiencing healthy rates of growth, despite seeing an easing in output and new orders in recent months. As we know a significant level of the projects are being undertaken outside of Northern Ireland. A report from the Construction Skills Network said that the average construction output growth between 2014 and 2018 is projected to reach 2.3%, with the correlating Annual Recruitment Requirement for the industry in Northern Ireland doubling from previous forecasts to 1,280 per year between 2014 and 2018. Earlier this year we released the Hays Global Skills Index 2014, a unique and in-depth review of the global labour market across
31 countries. We noted that skills shortages can be seen across the majority of sectors we recruit for, and as such, there is a pressing need for 'widespread structural reform' in the UK. It is at a time like this that the construction sector simply cannot afford to overlook key areas of the workforce and the growing opportunities must be made available to all. Women currently represent only 11% of the construction workforce in the UK, with most of these jobs office based. Only 2% of women in construction actually work in manual jobs. However, the traditional view of the construction industry as predominantly manual labourbased is one-dimensional – there are manifold dynamic and varying career paths stemming from the industry. Beyond operations, there are a range of opportunities covering the full lifecycle of the construction process – from architecture and design through to facilities management. The need to increase the flow of women into the construction sector is not new. But the problem is now complicated by the fact that so many skilled professionals have been
lured with the promise of more consistent work to Britain and beyond. Recruiting from a wider pool of people could help the industry to avoid the skills shortages faced in the past. Action must be taken now to encourage more women to consider careers in construction. A more diverse workforce could bring benefits to the whole sector, and many women already hold successful careers in a variety of construction roles. However, in order to make this more common place, the industry must address two key issues. Firstly, more must be done to appeal to female school leavers and show them the career options available within the sector. Hays is at the centre of tackling this problem. As the only accredited recruitment partner to the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and members of the Construction Employers Federation (CEF), we are working with the University of Ulster to reassure undergraduates and those embarking on postgraduate studies that there is a broad, challenging and rewarding set of career
CONCRETE FUTURES NI-9402 Specify Strip Ads.indd 1
opportunities in Northern Ireland. CITB NI is actively promoting the construction industry to young people and they have a team of Ambassadors who visit schools. To further promote the industry to female career seekers, they are currently developing a booklet which will feature case studies of women already working in all areas of the industry. Secondly, we would like to see continuing efforts made to address the attitudes of the sector in its willingness to embrace females as a willing and able part of the workforce. CITB NI runs a Women in Construction Network to help support women within the construction sector. Events are held so that women in the network can meet and share their own experiences, hear about new technologies, or attend site visits. With better attraction, recruitment and retention strategies, the construction sector could address this issue and build a more diverse and better equipped workforce to ensure the long-term stability of the industry. For further information visit www.hays.co.uk/northernireland
The right job can transform a person’s life and the right person can transform an organisation, we’re experts at matching both in construction management. Find out more at hays.co.uk/ni
20/08/2014 16:45