Improving construction industry image to enhance women representation in the industry workforce

The Construction industry is an important sector in the UK economy. It is a dynamic and innovative industry, which has a considerable effect on everyone’s life. Although the industry is growing day-by-day with its capabilities and technologies, the image of the construction industry is still rooted in the past despite years of positive image campaigning. The message about the importance of the industry is not properly passed to the society. The image of the industry shows it as an industry associated with difficult working conditions. Although the industry has many sub sectors, the general image is built with site work and physical labour, which leads to an impression of a macho environment. However, the present construction industry is suffering from a severe skill shortage and it has failed to attract young people interested in a career in the industry. Enhancing women representation in the construction workforce is a reliable solution for fulfilling the skill gap. Women under-representation makes the construction a male dominated industry with a lack of diversity. Since this negative industry image stands as a significant barrier for the recruitment and retention of women, there is an obligation for the construction educators and professionals to change the industry’s image through their conscious effort and dedication to overcome the problems of filling the skills gap and to increase diversity. This paper attempts to address the issues related to the construction industry image and their influence in attracting women into the industry through a literature review.