THE Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has released new figures that show the number of women completing construction apprenticeships in the UK has nearly tripled since 2018.
Using stats from the Department for Education, CITB found the number of women starting construction apprenticeships jumped from 1,450 in 2018 to 2,410 in 2025. During the same period, the number of women completing a construction apprenticeship increased from 340 to 910.
The CITB said that while the increase is a positive outlook on building the future, there is a push for introductions of policies that are aimed at promoting gender equality to further shrink the gender and skills gap.
The organisation works with The Skills Centre, which has been running activities to encourage women into the industry. As a result of CITB’s investment in The Skills Centre’s Onsite Experience hub, 182 women have been trained to secure employment in construction.
Earlier this year, The Women and Work All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) released the ‘Women and Work APPG Report 2025’ focusing on the strategies to break down barriers that stop women from getting into construction.
Deb Madden, executive director, customer engagement and operations at CITB, said, “It’s really encouraging to see the continued increase of women starting and completing construction apprenticeships. It’s important that, as an industry, we retain these women and ensure their apprenticeships translate into long-term, secure job opportunities.
“Across the industry, we need to establish a culture that ensures it seeks to understand and meet the needs of people of all backgrounds. We need employers to establish clear and accessible pathways for a diverse range of candidates to learn and progress, making it more attractive for them to stay in the industry, and ensure all employees have a good work-life balance.”
