Women’s Career Development in
Construction and the Role of
Training and Development
Gayani Elvitigala, Dr Dilanthi Amaratunga &
Dr Richard Haigh
Research Institute for the Built and Human environment
The University of Salford
BEECON 2006
Presentation Layout
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Introduction and Background
Aim of the study
Training and development in construction
Role of training and development and women’s
career
• Summary
• Way forward
Introduction and Background
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“Construction is one of the skills shortage industry”
(EOC, 2004 )
“a chronic shortage of skilled workers in
Construction Industry" (Flood ,2004)
“a correlation between sector-specific skills
shortages and under-representation of women in
these sectors” (EOC ,2004)
“women are only 203,000 as 10% from total
employees in construction industry” - (Labour Force
Survey Spring, 2004)
“women were found to have progressed an average
of one hierarchal level behind their male peers of
similar age and experience” ( Dainty et al,2000)
Aim of the Study
Aim
Review of the literature on the role of
training and development on women’s
career in construction
Training and development in construction
• Training is defined as "all the various processes by
which an individual develops the competencies
required for employment-related tasks" (OECD,
1997)
• The proportion of employers providing off-the-job
training in 2002 in construction was relatively high –
64%. (CITB,2003)
• Training for health and safety purposes is one of the
most widespread types of training provided across
all sectors, including construction and training in
new technology and management is lower in
construction than in other industries ( survey of
learning and training at work ,2002)
• New training and development targets (CITB ,2002)
– recruitment targets for new entrants into
industry-approved schemes
– increased retention of CITB Managing Agency
trainees
– recruitment of a target number of female and
ethnic minority trainees. Specific aims included:
Dedicating resources to recruit 41,000 new entrants
into industry-approved training schemes.
Improving the recruitment of female and ethnic
minority trainees by 10 per cent per annum.
Role of training and development in
construction and women’s career
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obtaining training and work experience necessary as
a route of entry for women into construction (Byrne et
al,2005)
women in full-time jobs tend to receive less training
than their mail counterparts (Powell,1998)
there is attitude had persisted through training into the
workplace, where they had been expected to
undertake clerical and support duties and had to fight
to be given technician training and work (Fielden et
al,2000)
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The significance of training for both development and
confidence-building purposes has been noted as a
difficulty women often face when trying to gain training
they want (Healy and Kraithman, 1996)
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lack of training is seen as helping to prevent entry into
the management ranks in many organisations (and to
keep women at the lower levels within management)
(Steven,2000)
Summary
• Influences of adequate training programmes towards career
development of women
• Lack of successful initiatives for training and development
• Women are seeking specific training programs in order to
develop their career which are necessary for their career
development
• lack of training as a factor preventing entry of women into the
management ranks in many organisations
• It is necessary to develop effective and adequate training
programmes at both organisational and regional levels to
pursue women’s career development in the field of construction
Way forward
• Identify further barriers face by the
women in obtaining necessary training
• Explore details of any female specific
training programmes in construction
industry
• What lessens can be learnt from other
sectors in training development and
management for construction industry
Acknowledgments
Authors acknowledge the assistance received
from European Social Funds towards the
work reported in this presentation
Thank you