Unleashing the potential of the construction industry

According to the Construction Skills Network, the UK needs an additional 225,000 workers to meet construction demand by 2027. Finding enough people with the right skills has been plaguing businesses large and small and ultimately holding back the industry for years. But there remains immense untapped potential in women.

Encouraging women to join the industry should become a collective mission for colleges, schools, careers advisers, and businesses. I, like many others, did not receive any such encouragement from the education system and working in construction was something I had never considered. With my dad being a draughtsman, I knew of the roles available in construction, but that was it.  Indeed, I was due to join the Garda back home in Ireland. It was only by chance that I was over in Glasgow visiting friends when I saw an advert for a quantity surveyor apprenticeship with Akela Group. I had a chat with my dad, and my uncle who is a surveyor too and I was intrigued. Sixteen years later I am still here and loving it.

But it was not without its difficulties. Back in 2007 at university on day release, I was one of just a few women in a class of over 200 men doing my degree. When I first went to work on building sites, I was, for some men, the only woman they had ever seen in that environment. Old school, misogynistic views still ruled, even if at times it was well meaning - during bad weather I would be offered the chance of going inside instead of walking the site with the rest of the male team, to get out of the rain. Even today, when I tell people I am a quantity surveyor, some still show surprise.

However, growing up with my two brothers, my sister and I were used to giving as good as we got. Don’t get me wrong, it was tough at times, and still can be. But once you assert yourself and show that you do not need to be coddled, you soon earn the respect and equal treatment we deserve.

Nowadays, things are becoming much better as younger generations join the industry. There are now significantly more women in senior roles in construction leading from the front. For the younger generation especially, it is not out of the ordinary for women to be on site and working in construction. This shift is why I believe construction and engineering hold so many amazing opportunities for women now, and especially those women who are just starting out.

For women right across the sector, it can be such a rewarding experience in construction. With new technologies there are constant opportunities for continued learning. Despite working for Akela for my entire career, I get to do more training and learn new roles all the time. There are ample opportunities for progression to more senior roles whether you work on site or in an office. Ultimately, there are few sectors with as rewarding results and a sense of accomplishment. At the end of a project you can point to homes where families live, or buildings where businesses thrive, and say, I helped build that.

However, we do not just need more women in construction to address the skills gap. We need more female perspectives, more fresh attitudes, and more diversity in ideas. Every day as tradespersons, surveyors, engineers, we face problems that need solving, plans that need altering and challenges that could not be foreseen. By embracing and empowering more women in these roles we can ensure the future success of the industry.

Ciara Johnstone is a quantity surveyor for Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Akela Group.