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Julie Gent About 300,000 women work in UK construction, roughly 15% of the industry, according to ONS survey figures for April 2025 to March 2026. Most work in offices, management and design. On the tools, it's a different picture. Women hold only about 2% of skilled construction trade jobs. The route in is the same as for men. You start with a CSCS card, then a trade qualification or a degree.
Where women work in construction today
The overall share looks modest. The trade share is tiny. Skills England's 2026 construction skills assessment puts the workforce at 85% male, against 52% across all UK jobs.
Split by job, the gap changes a lot.
| Job | Women | All workers | Women's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architects | 21,600 | 61,000 | 35% |
| Civil engineers | 10,800 | 94,100 | 11% |
| Skilled construction and building trades | 20,700 | 886,100 | 2% |
ONS Annual Population Survey, UK, April 2025 to March 2026, all industries. Survey estimates, accurate as of September 2026.
Inside the construction industry itself, admin roles employ the most women, at about 111,000. Around 71,000 women work in professional roles and 52,000 as managers. In skilled trades within the industry, it's about 11,000 women to 844,000 men. That's roughly one in 80.
So if you want to work with your hands on site, you'll often be the only woman there. If you're heading for design or engineering, you'll have more company.
What holds women back
CITB says the industry doesn't lack people it could recruit. It has a mismatch between who's available and who employers look for. Its 2026 Industry Picture names women as one of the talent pools employers could draw on more.
The barriers are mostly practical.
- Not seeing yourself in the job. With one woman in 80 on the tools, most people have never met a female bricklayer or electrician.
- Not knowing the route. Many people assume a trade takes years before you can earn. A labourer's card can take days.
- Site facilities and kit. These are covered by law, though standards on site vary.
- Hours. Site starts are early and fixed, which is hard around childcare.
What the law says about toilets, changing rooms and PPE
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 set welfare rules for every site. Schedule 2 requires separate toilets for men and women. The exception is where each toilet is in its own room that locks from the inside. Where changing rooms are needed, men and women must have separate rooms, or separate use of them, where that's needed for privacy.
HSE says employers must provide personal protective equipment free of charge where a risk assessment shows it's needed. If the kit you're given doesn't fit, raise it with your supervisor. Kit that doesn't fit doesn't protect you properly.
Routes into construction for women
There's no separate route. The cards, tests and qualifications are the same for everyone.
Start on site with a CSCS card
Most sites ask for a CSCS card. For labouring work, that's the CSCS Labourer card, often called the green card. It takes two passes, the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment and the CITB HS&E test.
If you'd like one team handling the lot, our CSCS Green Card package gives you the Level 1 course to study online, arranges your CITB test near home and takes care of the card application. Every step is set out in our guide on how to get a CSCS card.
Learn a trade
An apprenticeship lets you earn while you train. Apprentices on a recognised scheme get a free CSCS Apprentice card. Finish a Level 2 NVQ or the apprenticeship and you can apply for the Blue Skilled Worker card.
Changing career, or coming back after a break? In England, Skills Bootcamps in construction are aimed at new entrants and returners as well as people upskilling. The government put £100 million into expanding them in 2025.
Our guide to skilled labour careers covers how people move from labouring into a trade. For one hands-on example, see how to become a stonemason.
Go professional
Architecture and civil engineering are where women's share is highest. Both usually start with a degree or a degree apprenticeship. Our comparison of architects and civil engineers sets out the training for each.
Who can help
Go Construct is CITB's careers site. It covers every route in, and its guide to Women in Construction Week explains the awareness week held in the first week of March. There's no official UK programme for the week. Employers run their own events, talks and open days, so it's a good time to look for taster sessions.
For engineering, the Women's Engineering Society runs mentoring, community groups and an annual conference. It describes itself as the UK's largest professional organisation for women in engineering.
Ask about funded training before you pay for anything.
Your first step this week
Try our free CITB mock tests. They show you how ready you are for the CITB test itself. When you're ready, the CSCS Green Card package gets you from course to card.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of the UK construction workforce is female?
About 15%. ONS survey figures for April 2025 to March 2026 put the number of women working in UK construction at roughly 300,000. Skills England's 2026 assessment gives the same picture, with the workforce 85% male. Most women in the industry work in office, professional and management roles rather than trades.
How many women work in construction trades?
Very few. ONS figures show about 20,700 women among 886,100 people in skilled construction and building trades, around 2%. Inside the construction industry itself, it's roughly one woman to every 80 men in skilled trades. Survey estimates at this level have wide margins, so treat them as a guide.
Do women need different qualifications to work in construction?
No. The CSCS cards, the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test, NVQs and apprenticeships are the same for everyone. Anyone applying for the CSCS Labourer card, woman or man, needs a CITB test pass and the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment.
Which construction jobs have the most women?
Office, professional and management roles. About 111,000 women in the industry work in admin roles, 71,000 in professional roles and 52,000 as managers. By job title, architects have the highest share at around 35% women, compared with about 11% of civil engineers and 2% of trades workers.
Do construction sites have to provide separate toilets for women?
Yes, unless each toilet is in its own room that locks from the inside. That's set by Schedule 2 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Where changing rooms are needed, men and women must have separate rooms, or separate use of them, where privacy needs it.
Is there help for women changing career into construction?
Yes. In England, construction Skills Bootcamps are open to new entrants and returners, and the government expanded them with £100 million in 2025. In England you can start an apprenticeship at any age from 16, as long as you're not in full-time education. Ask about funded training before you pay for anything.
Are there networks for women in construction?
Some. The Women's Engineering Society runs mentoring and community groups for women in engineering. Many employers run their own women's networks, and events cluster around Women in Construction Week in early March. Ask any employer you're interviewing with what support they offer.