21.11.13
Crossrail calls for more women to work in construction
The construction industry has a responsibility to do more about gender diversity, Crossrail has urged.
Speaking at Gender Diversity in UK Engineering and Construction Industry, Ailie MacAdam, Crossrail Central Section delivery director, called for companies to work to attract and retain more women into engineering and construction.
Currently, 19% of the construction workforce is female, with the majority working in administrative roles. But engineering companies are projected to have 2.74 million job openings between 2010 and 2020, including 1.86 million needing engineering skills.
MacAdam said: “As a country we are short of engineers, so if we ignore 50% of the potential workforce we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. We have a responsibility to do more to address the issues, find out why women don’t pursue this line of work and provide the opportunities for them to be successful.
“It is also vitally important to reach out to young girls before they choose their path through education, to dispel myths, show girls that engineering is a viable option and how rewarding it can be.
“There is strong evidence that shows diverse teams get better results. At Crossrail we have the chance to make a difference and provide women with an opportunity to explore this inspirational career path. Wouldn’t it be great if one of the things Crossrail was remembered for was making a real difference to diversity in the industry.”
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