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The number of women working in the skilled trades and other occupations in the construction industry is heading in the right direction, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Some progress has been made in recent years to further the experiences of women in the skilled trades, with latest reports indicating that the number of women in the industry has been steadily rising for the last several years. Yet, gaps remain and many more need to be recruited.
There is an urgency to removing hurdles that are impeding women and other underrepresented groups from working and succeeding in the construction sector, as more than 245,000 construction workers, or 20 percent of the workforce, are expected to retire by 2032. That point was made clear in a recent survey released by the Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen (OBCT), a standing committee of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, and at a Women in Construction webinar hosted by RESCON.
The OBCT survey found that there is a “significant need” to expand and diversify the sector’s workforce over the long term as anticipated growth combined with increased retirements creates a projected need to recruit more than 154,000 workers in Ontario over the next decade. Recruitment and retention of women will be critical during this period, as they currently make up only five percent of the construction sector in Ontario (a total of 22,570 in 2024), according to BuildForce Canada. That is up a bit from the traditional percentage of four percent.
The number of women on-the-tools in Ontario (excluding those in roles such as managers and supervisors) was 14,200 in 2024.
“There are many hurdles for women and other underrepresented groups to working and succeeding in the construction sector which must be addressed,” the survey states.
The research initiative was done to explore how to better support women to enter and stay in the construction trades. Overall, the report found that many tradeswomen in Ontario report strong and positive experiences working in the trades, but they also face many barriers throughout their journeys, starting with initial awareness through to career advancement – with very few women in leadership positions.
The findings were interesting. For example, researchers found that most tradeswomen who were surveyed plan to continue their careers over the long term. They also found that many women discover trades later in their careers, suggesting untapped potential if they were reached earlier. Meanwhile, the survey results showed that tradeswomen face unique structural barriers in construction, such as lack of appropriate facilities and equipment, that existing efforts have not gone far enough to address. More than half of tradeswomen also reported experiencing harassment at work.
At the RESCON webinar, speakers highlighted that government programs, marketing campaigns and career fairs have helped boost the number of women enrolling in construction apprenticeship programs, but for the most part they’re still underrepresented in the industry. Indeed, latest figures show the industry is still mostly male-dominated. In Ontario, women represent roughly five percent of construction apprentices. Sadly, historical data also indicates women are more likely to drop out of apprenticeship training programs than their male counterparts. It seems age-old stereotypes still plague the industry and, because of the limited number of women in construction, there are relatively few mentors for new recruits to interact with.
Charmaine Williams, associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity, told the webinar that there has never been a better time for women to land a job in the building trades. However, webinar participants indicated there is a complicating factor to getting women into the trades. After completing their pre-apprenticeship program, finding an employer sponsor can be difficult. Emily Arrowsmith, director of research and programs at the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, said many women can’t find an employer who is willing to take them on as a Level 1 apprentice. Men still dominate the apprenticeship training system in Canada. Eighty-nine per cent of new apprentices are men and 11 percent are women. Fewer women than men complete their training programs.
To replace anticipated retirements, the industry must recruit more women to take up the trades. The Labourers have had some success with recruiting and retaining more women. The union has been particularly active in working with the community and organizations to recruit women. There have been more women at union meetings which shows the effort is paying off.
One thing’s for certain. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Every journey begins with a first step.
Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at me***@****on.com.