The Problem with Women In Construction - Episode 16 | Naz Lewis-Humphrey

Construction Disrupted

Today, we've got a thought-provoking and important topic to discuss - Women in Construction. It's a subject that has been gaining increasing attention in recent years, and for good reason. The construction industry is undergoing significant changes in terms of technology and innovation but can this also be said in terms of diversity and inclusivity?

We've seen a surge in interest and conversation about this topic, but the fear is that this is all we’ve been doing, gaining an interest and sparking conversation. Plainly speaking, it’s a numbers game - the more women within construction, the more of a voice they have, the more will be done to the imbalances we currently see.

But why do we see this as an important step change within construction? What are the benefits here above solving the other critical challenges our industry faces?

The answer is within the question itself. First and foremost, gender diversity in the construction industry has the potential to address the skills shortage the industry is currently facing. With an ageing workforce and the ongoing need for new talent, it's imperative that we tap into the full spectrum of our society's talents and resources. Secondly, fostering inclusivity in the sector not only strengthens the workforce but can also lead to improved company performance and innovation. The construction industry is evolving, and in a perpetual wheel in motion, the more we diversify the workforce, the more changes will occur.

All sounds simple, right? Yes, it is if we have a steady stream of employable people. The truth is that to fix the problem with women in construction we need to take a step back, open up the possible routes to employment at an earlier stage and diminish the longstanding perception that construction is a male-dominated, physically demanding field - there is more to construction than bricks and blocks!

Everything we’ve just mentioned is fixable, but it takes time and effort and not just supporting the cause or getting behind one week out of the 52 available to magnify the women in construction problem. And our guest is actually doing something about all this. More talk, more action!

And that guest is Naz Lewis-Humphrey, Learning and Development Consultant at BE Consulting. Naz is an experienced Learning & Development & EDI Professional with over 15 years experience within the construction and recruitment industry, specialising in early careers and apprenticeship recruitment.

Her work, the doing bit, is liaising, networking and introducing apprentices, students, and a more diverse talent pool to the built environment. She has worked as a mentor to support women, women of colour and students both entering and working in construction.

Shortlisted for the Top 100 Influential Women in Construction through being consistently passionate about the sector and campaigning for a more diverse and equal workforce with both employer and employees.

Naz is also a Director with LRCTG (London Region Construction Training Group), working to promote education and upskilling for all to ensure a more skilled workforce is continued way into the future.

Topics Covered

- What is the current issue around Women in Construction and why the interest?

- Why don’t women see construction as an option or route to employment?

- What can we do as a complete sector to improve this?

- What is BE Consulting doing to address this?

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Website: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/

Further Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazlewis/

https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/diversity-in-construction/women-in-construction/#:~:text=Women%20make%20up%20around%2014,in%20construction%20and%20engineering%20jobs.

https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/common-construction-myths/

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/government/percentage-of-women-in-skilled-trades-shows-little-change-in-a-decade-18-03-2022/

Mentioned in this episode:

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