The regions with the most diverse skilled trades workforce

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  Posted by: electime      16th July 2024

Regions Total skilled trade workers Straight or Heterosexual Gay or Lesbian Bisexual All other sexual orientations
London 328,042 286,514 87.34% 3,662 1.12% 3,023 0.92% 2,158 0.66%
South East 447,317 414,030 92.56% 3,573 0.80% 2,623 0.59% 885 0.20%
East of England 323,624 300,142 92.74% 2,067 0.64% 1,584 0.49% 682 0.21%
South West 326,017 301,338 92.43% 2,771 0.85% 1,979 0.61% 598 0.18%
North West 334,817 311,716 93.10% 2,869 0.86% 1,737 0.52% 520 0.16%
West Midlands 283,488 263,238 92.86% 1,935 0.68% 1,383 0.49% 493 0.17%
Yorkshire and The Humber 272,791 254,005 93.11% 1,999 0.73% 1,461 0.54% 468 0.17%
East Midlands 246,106 228,638 92.90% 1,709 0.69% 1,357 0.55% 416 0.17%
Wales 166,613 154,315 92.62% 1,160 0.70% 725 0.44% 196 0.12%
North East 120,940 114,046 94.30% 891 0.74% 543 0.45% 137 0.11%

The proportion of straight or heterosexual people in the skilled trades workforce stays somewhat similar across England and Wales, varying by around 7 per cent. The highest proportion is in the North East at 94.30 per cent, and the lowest is London’s 87.34 per cent.

London also has the highest proportion of both gay or lesbian and bisexual skilled tradespeople at 1.12 per cent, and 0.92 per cent, of the total workforce. The capital also leads the way when it comes to all other sexual orientations at 0.66 per cent, followed by the East of England’s 0.21 per cent,.

This variation reflects London’s status as the most culturally and demographically diverse city in the UK, which likely contributes to its higher representation of minority sexual orientations in the trades. London’s inclusive environment may encourage a more diverse range of individuals to enter and remain in the skilled trades.

Kyle Eaton, money.co.uk business insurance expert, comments on the benefit of diversity in the workforce and offers tips on how trade businesses can attract diverse talent: 

“Workplaces focusing on diversity have a range of experiences, opinions and beliefs that can benefit your business, improve morale and solve problems creatively. With this in mind, here are some pointers to attract diverse talent to your skilled trades business:  

  1. Review your recruitment strategy: “The first step in attracting and hiring a diverse workforce and fostering inclusivity is evaluating how you appeal to applicants. Start by looking through job descriptions and identifying any language that could put off diverse applicants, including gendered language like ‘tradesman’.
  1. Focus on the positives: “Make sure to highlight the benefits of a career as a skilled tradesperson. As the skills gap keeps widening, working in a trade is in high demand, offering diverse recruits job satisfaction and a steady wage. 
  2. Promote a supportive company culture: “When attracting diverse talent in skilled trades, workers want to feel respected, valued and safe. So, make sure to reinforce a supportive company culture. This can mean different things to different people. You could start with acknowledging and addressing a gender pay gap if it exists within your business. You could also provide opportunities for training and education. 
  3. Encourage word-of-mouth referrals: “Ask your existing staff to use their networks to attract diverse talent. This means you can hire from a wider pool of potential recruits who might not think a skilled trades career could include them. You could encourage your employees to share a job vacancy with underrepresented groups within their networks to boost your referrals. 
  4. Target diverse spaces: “Tailor your recruitment efforts to include places where underrepresented people are more likely to see them. Increasing your visibility in these areas shows you are committed to attracting diverse recruits and makes you a more attractive proposition for them.”