Nicola Thompson
With the number of women in trades dismally low, the implication is that individuals, the industry, and ultimately the community all suffer from only fully utilising one sex. But prevailing attitudes suggest change will not be easy with a survey by the Building Careers Centre showing the highly male makeup of the industry is a deterrent to women who fear isolation, discrimination and harassment should they pursue construction industry careers.
The findings are not surprising. Least of all to the few women who have defied the odds.
The survey looked at the attitudes and awareness levels of male and female secondary students and examined social beliefs and the school education system.
The study found that young women believe the industry is male-dominated and perceive sexism, discrimination and harassment to be widespread.
More than half of all young people still believe young women are not suited to all work in the construction industry and more than 30 per cent believe they should only work in administrative, para-professional and professional areas.
Despite paying lip service to the notion that 'women can do anything', many young men still believe women are both physically and psychologically unsuited to construction work.
The survey confirmed that young people seriously contemplate their career choices by the age of 16 and that gender-based career stereotyping makes it particularly difficult for young girls to establish their own career choices or to diverge from the career path which parents dictate.
Most respondents said they would not encourage their daughter to enter the industry, although many would encourage their sons to do so.
This perhaps explains why many capable women do not consider the construction industry as a career choice until after they leave school and escape the influence of family and high school peer groups.
With adult entrants often having dependants and financial obligations which initial wage levels cannot support, the drop out rate for women in the industry is particularly high.
A sense of isolation is another reason for high defections with women having almost no chance of meeting other women working in the industry and, therefore, lacking the support structures they need.
Education at school level is only part of the battle.
'It is a two way thing,' says Peter Tyler, director of the Building Careers Centre. 'Male builders have to accept women in the building workplace.'
While more enlightened senior management staff may have recognised the undesirable and debilitating effects of an entrenched male culture, there is little evidence to suggest that there has been any significant erosion of it within the ranks of middle managers, employers or employees, says the Building Careers Centre report.
The existing training system, dominant management styles, and employment practices contribute to the maintenance of traditional attitudes.
The Building Careers Centre examined some practices which are in urgent need of reform such as 'grapevine recruitment' which reproduces the dominant characteristics of the existing workforce by excluding those not already in established networks.
This practice, widely used in the construction industry, restricts access to employment for women and other minorities.
The use of informal and unspecified employment criteria such as 'manner and attitude, appearance, gut feeling' contribute to the reproduction of direct and indirect race and sex discrimination in the industry's workforce and a narrowing of the recruitment pool.
Ongoing 'subtle discrimination in the workplace and negative perceptions about the capability of women and minorities' undermine attempts to retain quality employees-a waste of resources and expertise.
To improve the recruitment and retention of women in the industry the Building Careers Centre has identified a number of initiatives and Peter Tyler says these recommendations are now being put into effect and should be fully operational next year.
The Centre proposes to capitalise on the syllabus requirements for students to undertake work placement in the building and construction course now being offered by NSW secondary schools.
'This will create a pool of prospective talent for the industry which has already received training in basic skills, and developed appropriate attitudes,' the report says.
By arranging site tours for school teachers and career advisors, the Centre proposes that accurate information will be passed on to students about available occupations.
Improving the quality of enrolments for university degrees in construction management or construction economics will be helped by creating opportunities for academically gifted students.
The Centre proposes also that by providing practical industry experience to primary students, children will be exposed to career options earlier.
It is also proposed that by working with other industry associations to arrange work placements within the domestic housing sector, there will be increased interest since most students identify more closely with domestic building than commercial and industrial.
To address the issues, provide a support mechanism, and to encourage more women to enter the industry, a number of groups have formed over the years.
One such group is Constructive Women, an Association of women architects, planners, landscape architects and women in the building industry in NSW, formed 12 years ago.
Up to 50 per cent of architecture students are women and Mat happens to women graduates is still something of a mystery.
'There needs to be a study done on where women go after they graduate because fewer than 10 per cent register as an architect after leaving uni,' says Anne Conville, an architect and previous president of Constructive Women.
She says there are many issues which need to be addressed one of which is the necessity for women to move in and out of the profession to bear children rather, than the traditional male approach of staying in a company and working their way up.
Rather than being placed in larger organisations, Anne says more women architects take up or work in smaller practices.
The National Association of Women in Construction was formed in the US in 1953. From an initial membership of 16 the organisation has grown to around 8000. Members are from all facets of the industry including sub-contractors, building surveyors, architects, tradeswomen, project managers, developers, students who are pursuing construction related fields of study, government officers, and suppliers of materials and equipment.
The association aims to unite women for their mutual benefit, promote cooperation and better understanding among members, promote education, contribute to the betterment of the industry, encourage women to pursue and establish their careers in the construction industry, and to provide members with an awareness of the legislative process and legislation as it relates to the construction industry.
Paula Gerber-Jones, a senior associate with a legal firm in Melbourne, has been pivotal in bringing NAWIC to Australia and is now president of the Victorian branch.
She was previously involved in NAWIC in the US and says the status of women in construction there is far more advanced than in Australia. She has high hopes that the organisation will become as strong and effective here.
'A main activity for NAWIC will be mentoring - helping students make the transition from study to work,' she says. Mentors will be both men and women. NAWIC will also seek to encourage girls at school to consider a career in the construction industry.
'A major issue is to attract more women and to keep them in the profession,' says Gerber-Jones.
To address this problem NAWIC will be making a video and distributing it to schools and encouraging offers in the industry for work experience for school students.
'With over 50 per cent of women studying architecture there is a very high loss rate. While a percentage of women leave to start families as in all other professions, the sense of isolation also needs to be addressed,' Gerber-Jones says.
She believes another factor discouraging women from contemplating a career in construction is that the industry has long been seen as not providing a stable career path.
She says NAWIC will be introducing Awards of Excellence for women. 'I have been to several awards in the industry with all nominations and all winners being men. There are occasions where women do win an award but this is not often,' she says.
Leslie Butterfield is president of the NSW branch of NAWIC. A civil engineer and business project manager for a major construction firm, Butterfield says she has faced great opposition.
To her, being a woman in the construction industry means constantly proving capability and professionalism with technical abilities always questioned.
'The higher up the ladder you go, the more opposition there is. And there is no active encouragement,' she says.
While Butterfield says there are now more women in some areas of construction like interior design and architecture , for areas such as engineering and trades, not much has changed with women making up a minuscule part of the workforce.
Through NAWIC she hopes to change this and to support women who are already in the industry.
'NAWIC seeks to unite women across the entire construction industry. This is quite unique. While there are many organisations for specialised areas there are none across the entire spectrum,' she says.
'The number one issue for NAWIC is promoting education both within the organisation and outside.'
While she says women are up against a well established old boy network, she adds, 'We are not a women's only group. We invite men to be involved and are not strident feminists.'
Jane Castle is one of the women NAWIC is hoping to support and nurture. Already in her fourth year of a six year architecture degree at the University of NSW, Jane is finding it tough.
'In terms of gender, architecture is incredibly male dominated. It can really get you down,' she says.
Castle came to study architecture by accident. It was only when she was dissatisfied with her psychology studies at University that a fellow student mentioned architecture as a possibility.
Castle says women are locked out of architecture because the existing structure is all male and female teacher numbers are extremely low.
During the practical element of her studies, which involves working within an architecture firm, she has come to realise that you have to work incredibly hard, especially if you are a woman.
'In terms of large scale projects, you cannot have a family life. You either live architecture or you don't,' she says.
She has also found that the profession of architecture involves networking, with the system favouring males.
Margaret Gambley, senior education officer in careers education, says the NSW Department of School Education works towards ensuring all young people are aware of the full range of career options.
'Early impressions are the most lasting, therefore it is important to make sure young people have the skills and competency to make a career choice. We expose young people to as many types and ranges of work as possible,' she says.
As well as general careers education the State government has specific focus for girls including a Department of Training and Education coordination program called 'Tradesvvomen on the move'.
This program introduces as role models women working in non-traditional occupations to Year 9 and 10 in the more remote areas of the country.
Hands on experience as a wonderful way to attract career choices. With this in mind a series of workshops was held this year at the Construction Building School Centre. offering Year 9 girls the opportunity to take part in trades including tiling and using a range of tools.
The intent is that by the time girls reach the age of Year 11 to participate in work preparation programs, the interest already will have been sown.
Studies have found that participation in the building industry i's higher Men the interest is there.
'Maybe it is what happens out in the job market Men girls go out to find work. It may be that employers have to be educated as well.'
(Reproduced, with permission, from Building Products News, February 1996)