Gone are the days when the building trade was solely a male domain. Many women are now learning a trade as a career option and are entering the construction business as builders, plumbers, decorators, and electricians. There is a shortage of tradespeople so there is money to be made from qualified tradespeople who offer a high-quality service. Women in the construction industry are becoming more commonplace, as well as sought after. Women have the reputation as having an excellent eye for detail and they are becoming a popular choice with single parents and the elderly who may find the traditional tradesman a little intimidating.
Why are more women deciding to enter the trade industry?
Money! Money talks and working as a qualified tradesperson is a potentially lucrative career choice. As discussed earlier there is a current skills shortage in the construction industry. Once you build up a good reputation as offering a quality service you are likely to be inundated with work. You could consider in time going self-employed and build up your own decorating, electrician, building or plumbing business – read more on why entering the construction industry may be for you.
Lots of the work involved in the construction industry allows for a degree of creativity. If you find the thought of being stuck in an office working 9-5 horrifying, construction will offer a much more active position. Creating, building and designing give a high degree of job satisfaction which gives the confidence to take on the next task.
Training
There are a number of training options available for entering the construction industry. Take a look at what’s offered by your local college. If you are a school leaver it may be possible to train during the day with work placements in order to gain the necessary practical skills. If you are making a career change you may be able to stay in your current job whilst you retrain in the evening at college. apprenticeships are also available which enable you to learn in the job, perhaps with a day in college to learn the theory. There are also private training providers, but read reviews carefully as some courses don’t leave students confident enough to work once they have completed the course. Crash/intense courses are not a good idea unless you already possess a lot of practical skills.
Whichever training route you choose the course and training providers should be fully accessible and inclusive whether you are male or female. Even though most training providers encourage women to enter the construction industry, there is still an unequal balance of males to females. Ensure you are treated fairly and equally and take advice if you feel that you are being discriminated against.
Once you have qualified you will probably want to build up your experience and reputation by working alongside other tradespeople. As your experience grows and you feel confident to tackle most tasks you could consider going self-employed. It may not be long before you build up your own business employing other tradespeople. You may want to diversify in the future and enter property renovation, which is another well-paid career choice.
For more information on Builder Registration head over to Builder Registration.