BCITO wants more women in trades

BCITO has launched its Women in Trades Campaign, which aims to encourage diversity in a traditionally male-dominated arena

By 2025, the training organisation aims for women to make up 10% of apprentices. The sector goal for 2040 is to have women make up 30% of people in the construction trades.

“This is a critical issue facing our sector, and while we have made some progress, we still have a long way to go,” said Amanda Williams – Principal Advisor Women at BCITO Te Pūkenga. 

“This campaign is about providing practical approaches that can inspire women to enter the trades, and to help employers to attract and retain more women.”

BCITO has experienced growth in this area since 2015, when less than 1% of apprentices in building and construction were women. The number is now above 6%, with carpentry, painting and decorating, and timber joinery the most popular trades.

Give women a platform

To encourage more women in trades, BCITO has launched an online platform to help employers support female employees, while fostering growth and strengthening their businesses. It has been used by more than 10,000 employers to access strategies such as:

• Building workplace culture.
• Improving communication.
• Health & wellbeing.
• Building future leaders.

Additionally, BCITO has developed a series of profiles and case studies to showcase opportunities for women in construction, featuring stories from people like Jessica and Te Atamairangi.

Jessica is quoted as saying: “My passion for building is so strong, but my passion to build other women up is even stronger.”

Meanwhile, Te Atamairangi asks: “We move mountains for our families, so why not move the world and reshape it for us?”

“The construction industry needs confident, capable and motivated professionals. [The case studies] exemplify the extraordinary talent and determination of women in the trades,“ said Williams.

“Through their accomplishments, we hope to inspire and empower other women to pursue careers in trades, through a BCITO apprenticeship, knowing that they too can achieve great success.“

Create the right environment

Despite some progress, women are still under-represented in skilled trades and BCITO is on a mission to support gender diversity, provide more opportunities for women in construction, and futureproof a supply of talent to the industry throughout New Zealand.

“We’re keen to create an all-inclusive and all-empowering environment, where women feel comfortable, enabling them to thrive and contribute to the growth and success of the trades industry,” concluded Williams.