GROWTH OF WOMEN IN THE ELECTRICAL TRADE AMONGST THE SLOWEST OF ALL OF THE SKILLED OCCUPATIONS
Posted by: electime 11th May 2023
The growth of women in the electrical trade is amongst the slowest of all of the skilled occupations, new analysis of workforce data has revealed.
Having taken a deep dive into 15 years worth of data, electrical training provider Electrician Courses 4U have revealed the proportion of women working in the electrical trade has increased by a minor 1.38 per cent since 2006.
The research, which aims to shine a light on the evolution of the trades over the past three decades, discovered that in 2006 there were 7,800 women working in the electrical and electronic trades, which equates to just 1.80 per cent of the total workforce.
By 2021 the number of women working in the electrical and electronic trades had increased by 4,900 to 12,700 – but that means women still only make up 3.18 per cent of the total workforce.
Looking at the overall picture of 29 skilled occupations, the electrical trade ranks in a dismal 22nd place when it comes to the trades which have seen the biggest increase in the proportion of women in their workforce over the last 15 years.
The occupation which has struggled the most when it comes to attracting and maintaining women in their workforce is chefs.
The number of women working as chefs has actually decreased since 2006 – falling from 56,900 to 55,000.
Another occupation which has seen a decline of females in their workforce is tailors and dressmakers who have seen a proportional loss of 4.20 per cent women workers over the past 15 years.
That said, women still make up over half of the workforce at 66.37 per cent.
The 10 skilled jobs which have seen the slowest growth in women workers over the past 15 years
| Occupation | Number of female workers in 2006 | Proportion of female workers in 2006 | Number of female workers in 2021 | Proportion of female workers in 2021 | Proportional difference of females from 2006-2021 |
| Chefs | 56,900 | 42.15 per cent | 55,000 | 28.18 per cent | -13.97 per cent |
| Tailors & dressmakers | 10,300 | 73.57 per cent | 7,700 | 66.37 per cent | -4.20 per cent |
| Florists | 13,300 | 94.33 per cent | 10,700 | 93.86 per cent | -0.47 per cent |
| Construction and building trades n.e.c. | 5,300 | 2.24 per cent | 4,600 | 2.24 per cent | 0.00 per cent |
| Construction & building trades | 8,500 | 0.97 per cent | 9,700 | 1.39 per cent | +0.43 per cent |
| Furniture makers & other craft woodworkers | 3,700 | 7.46 per cent | 4,100 | 8.15 per cent | +0.69 per cent |
| Telecommunication engineers | 2,500 | 4.67 per cent | 3,900 | 5.96 per cent | +1.29 per cent |
| Electrical and electronic trades | 7,800 | 1.80 per cent | 12,700 | 3.18 per cent | +1.38 per cent |
| Building finishing trades | 4,300 | 1.79 per cent | 5,500 | 3.41 per cent | +1.62 per cent |
| Vehicle trades | 2,300 | 0.78 per cent | 7,500 | 2.45 per cent | +1.67 per cent |
Although some trades are struggling to attract women, the research has also revealed the occupations which have been most successful in boosting the proportion of females in their workforce.
The skilled occupation which has seen the biggest increase in women workers is bakers and flour confectioners. The proportion of female workers has almost doubled since 2006 – rising from 28.83 per cent to 56.29 per cent.
Another occupation which has seen a substantial increase in women workers is cooks. Females now make up 66.62 per cent of the workforce as opposed to just 39.71 per cent back in 2006.
Commenting on the research, Nigel Best, director of Electrician Courses 4U, said:
“By taking an in-depth look at the evolution of the skilled trades over the past 15 years we’ve been able to unearth some fascinating findings.
“Not only are the skilled trades finding it difficult to attract women into the industry, they’re finding it increasingly challenging to recruit new talent in general.
“It’s therefore imperative that these industries prioritise replacing and revamping an increasingly ageing workforce.
“Here at Electrician Courses 4U we’ve taken steps to make our training courses more accessible – carving an easier route into the electrical trade.
“Key to this has been the launch of our online courses which allow new and existing electricians to develop their knowledge in a flexible and cost-effective way.”
A full breakdown of the trades which have experienced the biggest rise and decline of workers over the past 15 years can be found here:
