A report has called for the construction industry to employ more women.

The report was recently produced by the Smith Institute, an independent think tank that promotes policies for a fairer society.

It reveals that women account for just eleven per cent of the construction workforce and a mere one per cent of workers on site.

This is despite the fact that women now make up nearly half of the overall workforce, a figure which has increased by more than 20 per cent over the last 20 years.

And the construction industry urgently needs to take on more skilled and diverse workers – around 200,000 by 2020 – to meet demand and keep up with technological advancements.

Paul Hackett, director of the Smith Institute, said: “The sector can neither justify nor countenance remaining a ‘no-go area’ for women.

“In order to fill the skills gap it will have to recruit and retain more women, and not just in support roles.”

Gender stereotyping and a macho culture have long barred women’s entry into the industry, as well as a shocking gender pay gap of 23 per cent, which is higher than the national average.

The Smith Institute has called for the government to take “significant action” to eliminate these barriers to entry.

“The government needs to take a stronger lead in articulating the business case for change and helping to increase those programmes currently in operation.

“Culture change is essential to make the industry more welcoming of women; eliminating a perceived bullying culture will help everyone.

“Working on this would enhance the image of the construction sector, showing it as a modern and welcoming industry, somewhere to make a career,” the organisation declares, in the ‘Building the Future: Women in Construction’ report.

Employers also need to take action, including reviewing their recruitment processes, training schemes and existing practices.

As Sarah Davis, chair of Women in Building Services Engineering (WiBSE), pointed out, “If assumptions are made about women with children not wanting more responsibility, this can preclude them from even being offered career advancement.”

Like Davis, the Smith Institute believes that career advancement is a problem area for the industry.

The Institute has called for ‘better conditions, flexible working policies and a commitment to supporting those women who wish to go into management’.

This would ‘provide an attractive career path, but also build up a more diverse management, who in their turn are more likely to attract and recruit a diverse workforce’.

A handful of employers are leading the way through apprenticeships, mentoring programmes and the active recruitment of women.

The Leeds College of Building is at the forefront of such progress, training 900 women a year and working with local schools.

The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) is also helping women to access employment opportunities by offering DIY taster courses for women seeking construction work.

However, funding for such schemes is often scarce .

The Smith Institute insists that this must change: “Funding for apprenticeships and courses for those choosing a new career should be a priority for government and industry alike.

“Contractors need to ensure that those in training can secure work placement.”