To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week (2-6 March), CIOB has once again surveyed young people and parents across Scotland to better understand their perceptions of the construction sector.

Ahead of the full results being published next week, I wanted to highlight one persistent challenge that, sadly, has been reconfirmed by the data.

Overall, perceptions of construction remain positive. 63% of parents and 67% of young people view the sector favourably. However, views of the sector’s culture, combined with a narrow understanding of what construction careers are, continue to act as a barrier to attracting new entrants.

Nearly half of parents (45%) and over half of young people (55%) surveyed feel the construction sector is not welcoming to women. 27% of parents cited the sector being ‘male dominated’ and ‘not female friendly’ as reasons they would not recommend it as a career path for their child.

The survey results also suggest that many respondents have a narrowly-defined perception of the types of roles available in the sector. When asked what first comes to mind when thinking of construction careers, nearly half of young people (47%) said ‘working on a building site’. Similarly, the most common reasons given for not considering a career in the sector were ‘physical work’ and ‘working outdoors’.

These perceptions are not wrong, but they are incomplete.

Skilled trades are the backbone of our sector, and the shortages in these important, highly-skilled roles are of serious concern. But those of us working in construction know that these are not the only careers available. The sector includes a wide range of roles, from design and project management to policy and advocacy work like mine.

Some of these perceptions are no doubt the product of narrow and longstanding conceptions of what construction is and who the sector is ‘for’. So, people like me, in advocacy roles, have work to do in expanding the understanding of what construction is, what a career in the sector can look like and who these jobs are ‘for’. This also means increasing our efforts to make onsite work in skilled trades a more attractive prospect for greater numbers of people.

But changing these perceptions is not our only challenge.

There are still very real issues within the sector when it comes to culture and inclusion. I am writing this article shortly after attending a meeting where I was the only woman in attendance, one of ten, and was asked to introduce myself last. Sadly, this experience is too often the rule, rather than the exception.

If we are serious about addressing skills shortages and attracting new people into the industry, we need to do more than change how construction is perceived and understood. We need concrete, sustained efforts to improve the industry’s reputation. But we also need to continue improving how it feels to work within it. We need to challenge narrow, often male-centred perceptions of the sector, while also ensuring that women feel welcome to join, and to stay, once they are here.

It continues to be my privilege to represent this industry. Through my work, I meet people working in diverse roles across the sector that are doing exceptional work every day.

One of the reasons I am most proud to represent and advocate for this industry is precisely because there is room here for everyone. We need people with diverse backgrounds and skillsets to take up the plethora of roles in construction across all regions of the country and stages of a construction programme.

We all need to start working together to make sure our industry reaches more women and girls, earlier, and more effectively. The health and future of our sector – and of Scotland’s built environment – relies on ensuring that everyone who wants a career in construction has a fair opportunity to pursue one.