Despite still being a male dominated industry, women in building and construction are making their mark. By demonstrating business acumen and bringing a fresh, valuable perspective to the companies they work in, females in construction today are helping to drive business growth while acting as inspiring role models for the next generation.
Women in building: the statistics
Women account for 12 per cent of employees in the construction sector, so there’s still plenty of scope to improve the gender balance. Yet among those women who have chosen to forge a career in the industry, many have found opportunities to thrive.
Typically, women can be found working in areas such as sales, design and customer liaison, not to mention the often-present business-minded wife or female partner behind the builder. Fewer women are keen to take on trades roles (women make up just 2 per cent of Australia’s trades workforce) however organisations including the National Association of Women in Construction are trialling programs to encourage more women to consider such a career.
Their impact on the job
No matter what role they hold, women bring unique insights to building and construction. From a more intuitive understanding of female consumer behaviour and buying patterns to building strong relationships with clients, you’ll often find women playing a vital role in business communication, sales and marketing – helping companies win jobs and ensuring a positive customer experience throughout each project.
Women working in building and construction today say they enjoy the enormous variety of roles within the sector. As Australia’s third largest industry, the diversity of job opportunities is endless.
With staffing an ongoing challenge for many builders, encouraging females into the industry comes with the additional benefit of broadening the talent pool. Recent research also shows that companies that are gender diverse are more innovative, productive and profitable.
Dahlsens is pleased to highlight several pioneering women in construction, each of whom continues to make an important contribution to the sector.