Women into Construction is being wound up, after a “perfect storm” left the organisation “no longer viable”.
Managing director Kath Moore told Construction News that the organisation, set up 16 years ago to promote gender equality in the industry, had been caught by an under-the-radar recession in construction.
Moore said: “There has been a perfect storm. Post-Covid, and with the cost of living crisis, grant funding has really dried up. [And] it hasn’t really been talked about, but there has been a recession in construction.
“Companies that are very supportive of the work we do – and keen to take on our women – are coming to us and saying ‘We are trying to hold on to our own staff at the moment.’
“There was a stagnation in building with the previous government not supporting infrastructure projects or housebuilding, and that has really affected the companies we have worked with.
“They are keen to engage with us but they’ve been quitting off programmes and can’t offer any work placement or jobs at the moment. That has meant all our income streams have been squeezed very quickly and it became unviable in the end [even though] it wouldn’t have taken much to keep us going, as we are a very lean organisation.”
Women into Construction made a £17,000 pre-tax profit from revenue of £570,000 in its last filed accounts, for the year ending 30 April 2023.
The initiative started in August 2008 as part of the Olympic development in east London, where it doubled the number of female construction workers on the iconic megaproject.
It then expanded to become a not-for-profit business, working on other large projects in London including The Shard, Crossrail, Tideway and HS2, as well as with partners such as the Home Builders Federation.
The group received grant funding and worked with clients, contractors and trade bodies to provide industry placements and get women into jobs.
Women into Construction had up to 10 staff members, but never operated from a fixed office, instead working remotely or on the sites of large projects, where it would be best placed to quickly fill vacancies.
The organisation supported a total of 4,700 women, including 3,000 who completed industry training and 1,300 who gained employment after industry placements.
Moore told CN that the group “punched above its weight”, helping to transform the perception of female workers in construction, as well as the lives of those it supported.
“Everyone is devastated: our partners are devastated, the women we have helped are devastated,” she said. “This shouldn’t have happened. This organisation shouldn’t have gone down.
“Industry now needs to be a bit more proactive. There are no excuses. When we were first setting up, I’d go to a construction manager and they’d say ‘We’d like to hire women, but none apply.’
“We have shown that if you make it clear you are a company that is proactive and shows it’s open to employing women, then they will apply, and they will be good.”
Moore added: “We are very much about getting women into work. We don’t want to offer work placements just for the sake of it; there have to be jobs at the end of it.
“It’s been awful, really, having to come to this point, but at the same time we didn’t want to crash out, we wanted to do it responsibly.”
Women into Construction’s closure has been greeted with sadness and shock, with many commenters on LinkedIn also expressing gratitude for its work.
In a separate statement, Jon Howlin, chief executive of training provider The Skills Centre, said: “I was truly saddened to hear the news about Women into Construction closing its doors after 16 years of incredible work.
“Kath Moore MBE and her team have made a tremendous impact on our industry, supporting thousands of women and helping to break down barriers in construction.
“Its closure is a significant loss, but it also reminds us of the importance of the work that still needs to be done. We now have to think about how we can build on what’s been achieved and ensure that the momentum isn’t lost.
“This is a time for all of us in the industry to come together, to keep pushing for diversity, and to make sure the progress we’ve seen continues.”
