A skills gap is coming—and that’s good news

In Manitoba, women represent only 4% of the construction trade workforce. In other skilled trades, that number is even smaller.

Studies and industry reports show that a large population of skilled trade workers are gearing up for retirement. An estimated 300,000 new workers will need to be recruited from outside the construction industry over the next ten years to compensate for this gap.

This is an enormous opportunity for women seeking secure, well-paid and fulfilling employment.

Construction: The last frontier

Construction is seen as the “last frontier” in terms of increasing numbers of female representation. Other industries & sectors- the military, law enforcement, etc. have surpassed 15% female representation. The numbers of women in construction has remained unchanged for years. The tradeswomen of Build Together, together with industry support—plan to change this.

For centuries, construction workers passed on the knowledge of their craft from father to son. This generational “passing of the torch” led to insular recruiting strategies in the past. Contemporary advertising strategies perpetuate the assumption by heavily gearing images and language towards men.  The Build Together program has tailored strategies to actively recruit & retain women to the industry.

* Build Together is an initiative of Manitoba's Building Trades