Occupational alternatives in Spanish building engineering: A gender perspective

Purpose – Construction remains a male-dominated industry with marked occupational segregation. Based on Gottfredson's Circumscription and Compromise theory of career development, the purpose of this study is to outline the range of occupational alternatives that Building Engineering students in Andalusia (Spain) find acceptable for their future careers. These alternatives enable an analysis to be performed regarding the extent to which such segregation is related to their possible career aspirations. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 704 Spanish final-year Building Engineering students was drawn from a survey administered in person to all students attending each compulsory subject. A cluster statistical analysis was carried out to study how they are grouped according to their occupational preferences and perceived career barriers. Findings – Men might choose their career options with a low level of compromise, and their range of satisfactory occupations corresponds to their main preferences: "Technical project drafting and development", "Technical site management" and "Production site management". Women, showing a higher perception of career barriers, have to exercise a higher compromise on their preferred options. They are likely to sacrifice their field of interest for the sake of prestige and are more likely than men to give up prestige to preserve options more closely related to their gender such as "Technical project drafting and development" and "Risk prevention and Health and Safety". "Technical site management" shows the greatest perceived barriers, but its high preference level and the associated prestige render it likely to form part of the range of career aspirations for women. The employment options that women and men aspire to are more similar while they are still at university than when they later join the labour market. It is concluded that occupational segregation is a complex phenomenon that must be addressed from different perspectives. The responsibility of the business community is highlighted, and the implementation of actions in higher education is suggested. Originality/value – The research contributes to the career development body of knowledge in male-dominated and gender-segregated occupational fields within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The focus is on the Building Engineering profession which remains largely under-researched