Using statistics from the Department for Education, CITB has found that the number of women starting construction apprenticeships in England and Wales has jumped from 1,450 in 2018 to 2,410 in 2025. During the same period, the number of women completing a construction apprenticeship increased from 340 to 910.

While the growing increase of women starting apprenticeships in the construction industry and completing them is a positive outlook on building the future, there is a push for the introduction of policies that are aimed at promoting gender equality to further shrink the gender and skills gap. 

CITB funds training and supports work placements through its Onsite Experience hubs, creating a talent pipeline to meet the needs of local construction employers and enabling construction career opportunities for people from local communities.

As part of its commission, CITB works with The Skills Centre, which is running lots of activities throughout March to encourage women into the industry. As a result of CITB’s investment in The Skills Centre’s Onsite Experience hub, 182 women have been trained to secure employment in construction.

Earlier this year, The Women and Work All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) released the ‘Women and Work APPG Report 2025’ focusing on the strategies to break down barriers that stop women from getting into construction.

With significant demand for skilled workers in the construction industry, as shown by CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook that highlights the need for 47,000 additional workers every year to meet demand, diversity in construction should not be viewed as a challenge to be managed, but a solution to the skills gap.

Deb Madden, executive director, customer engagement and operations at CITB, said: “It’s really encouraging to see the continued increase of women starting and completing construction apprenticeships. It’s important that, as an industry, we retain these women and ensure their apprenticeships translate into long-term, secure job opportunities.

“Across the industry, we need to establish a culture that ensures it seeks to understand and meet the needs of people of all backgrounds. We need employers to establish clear and accessible pathways for a diverse range of candidates to learn and progress, making it more attractive for them to stay in the industry, and ensure all employees have a good work-life balance.”