A campaign has been launched to combat the construction industry’s skills
shortages by encouraging more women to become builders.
‘Women Building London’, run by Women’s Education in Building (WEB), hopes
to recruit 1,400 women to help make up the 8,000 new recruits a year, which the
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) says will be needed until 2006 to
avoid a shortfall.
At present, less than 1 per cent of building workers in the UK are female.
The scheme will advise women about the construction industry and choosing a
trade, and will offer information on training and support, as well as guidance
on finding work placements and jobs. It will also offer help to women setting
up a building or construction trade business.
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Sue Rossiter, Greater London area manager of the CITB, said she hopes the
scheme will, literally, change the face of the construction industry in
Britain.
"We need a construction industry that looks like Britain, and Britain
is not all male and white," she said.
