An investigation of women's career choice in construction

In response to skills shortages in technological expertise, a number of government initiatives have been introduced to encourage women to pursue Science, Engineering and Technology degree courses, including construction programmes. Women represent the most significant group of untapped potential for the UK construction sector and so their recruitment and successful transition into the sector is vital for the future prosperity of the industry. This paper reports on the initial step of an ESRC-funded project, which is the latest phase of a programme of research conducted by the research team over the last 10 years. Specifically, it investigates the career choice decisions of female engineering students through in-depth interviews. The data are also used to explore possible ways of encouraging more women into the construction profession. It is concluded that the industry must invest in tailored promotional activities if women are to be attracted, and that construction courses must be designed to take account of women's, as well as men's, needs.