Women are Underrepresented in Skilled Trades

This International Women’s day has focused on progress for women in the workplace. The gender pay gap was front and center in the conversation this year, and it has brought up the topic of women being underrepresented in the skilled trades sector.  Study shows that many women are underrepresented in skilled trades. 

More Skilled Tradeswomen Can Help Stimulate the Economy

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there is a 26.5% gender gap in labor force participation worldwide. This means that far more men than women are working blue collar jobs such as truck driver, craftsman, etc., which further supports the idea of women being underrepresented.

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a 2017 study found that the poverty rate for working women would be cut in half if they were paid the same as men, and equal pay would add around half a trillion dollars to the U.S. Economy.

For Sweden, increasing female employment by way of more skilled workers could increase the GDP by $6 trillion.  Conversely, it is estimated that a gender gap in employment costs 15% of GDP to the economy.

A study by ActionAid, an international NGO, shows that equal pay in developing countries would boost women’s earnings by $2 trillion. So it’s a win-win situation all around.

More Skilled Women Workers Can Mitigate Unemployment

According to a 2017 report by the Associated General Contractors of America, around 70% of employers in the construction industry are facing difficulties filling skilled positions. More female skilled workers could help in construction administration.

This extends to the manufacturing industry where 6 out of 10 positions go unfilled according to the Society for Human Resource Management.  According to projections, this could mean a shortage of 6 million jobs by 2020.

Heating and air conditioning specialists are also in demand, and women can help fill that demand.  At this moment, projections predict that there will be a 14% shortage of heating and air conditioning specialists by 2024.  This shortage of labor forces will contribute to total unemployment and will adversely affect the economy unless these positions are filled.

Another key figure that can help the employment sector is getting more skilled women in blue collar jobs or trades, which can help increase the rate of return of getting a degree.  Earning a two-year associate degree with specific training costs less than paying for a four-year bachelor’s degree.  It also holds true that getting specific training gets you a 90% chance of securing a job when you graduate.  Associate degree education can also be debt free, so that’s another bonus.

Hiring Female Skilled Workers Helps Companies in All Sorts of Ways

There is a federal law that requires construction companies in the U.S. to make an effort in good faith to increase the number of female tradeswomen in the industry. Hence, not only would female participation in construction work and construction administration help companies fill their empty positions, but they would also help them get into the government’s good graces. It will also be great PR for companies that hire female workers and will invite free press and publicity.

Then there is the advantage of customer satisfaction.  It’s no secret that women drive more than 70 percent of all consumer-purchasing, so having them in more skilled, key roles within different disciplines and companies will help boost sales as well.

Women Strengthen Team Dynamics

A study by the International Finance Corporation has revealed that the incorporation of more women in companies helps to protect their rights.  According to psychological research, women frequently possess skills to unite people and draw together opinions and proposals.  This is extremely important when you think of all the things you need to do in skilled labor.  You need teamwork, and you need to deliver specific tasks on time in order to complete a project on time.  The competition also favors the creation of teams; therefore, it’s in your favor to have more women in skilled workforces.

Right now, women are underrepresented in skilled trades.  But women can be an essential component of the global workforce and can help it grow and become more productive. In other words, there is a myriad of reasons to hire women in the workforce for skilled positions.

Whether you’re a man or a woman, today’s construction administration requires keeping track of a lot of things that could work better if you could just automate the process.  Using a virtual assistant from Pickett Fence Virtual Services will help immensely with your construction project workload.

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