A recent report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has revealed a remarkable 67% increase in women starting construction apprenticeships since 2018.
The CITB's 'Construction Apprenticeships 2025: Challenges, Opportunities, Support' report found that 1,450 women started a construction apprenticeship in 2018-19, but this number has significantly jumped to 2,420 in 2023-24.
"More Women Desperately Needed"
Lucie Wright, Head of Careers Strategy at CITB, commented, "We desperately need more women in construction. It's incredibly heartening to see the number of women starting construction apprenticeships increasing – long may this continue. As an industry, we need to actively promote to as diverse a range of applicants as possible and ensure we get the conditions for working in the industry right for as many different people as possible."
Apprenticeship Completions Increased by 170%
The findings were compiled using statistics from the Department for Education. The report also showed that the number of women completing their apprenticeships significantly increased over the same period. A total of 340 women completed their construction apprenticeship in 2018-19, but this had increased by more than 170% to 930 women completing their apprenticeship in 2023-24.
CITB stated that this rise in female starters and completions suggests a future with greater gender diversity in the construction industry. Changing attitudes towards gender roles and the introduction of policies aimed at promoting gender equality will help further decrease the gender and skills gaps, it added.
"Much To Admire About the Industry"
Lucie added, "We recently launched the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Awards 2025, back for the fourth year running. The programme is one of the ways we strive to recognise the wonderful women and allies who are driving real change in the construction industry. For any women thinking about their career options, I and CITB urge you to consider a career in construction. There's so much to admire about the industry, and it's a great place for women to work and thrive."
CITB stated that it intends to promote construction careers to over five million potential new entrants, highlighting that there are over 180 different occupations in the industry. Similarly, there are over 100 different construction apprenticeship roles that lead to careers in the industry for people at every stage of their career.
