Citing an increase of more than 2,400 women working in the industry in the last year, the B.C. Construction Association said adoption of the Builders Code in 2019 is starting to pay off on worksites around the province.
There are now 10,716 women in the construction trades, up from 8,294 in 2019, the association said. However, that’s still well below the 10-year goal of having women represent 10 per cent of the 180,000-strong construction workforce by 2028.
The association introduced the Builders Code more than a year ago with the goal of changing the culture of the industry and attracting and keeping women in the construction trades.
“Builders Code sets the foundations, the building blocks for a positive culture. It’s something we strive to follow, and I recommend other companies strive to follow it, Westcana Electric vice president Doug Engstrom said in a press release. Open up your doors, be inclusive be respectful, hire more women, be diverse, it’ll have a positive effect in your company.” It s the third Builders Code Champion Award for the company, which won two last year. Westcana is a member of the Prince George Nechako Aboriginal and Education Training Associations (PGNAETA) Women in Trades Program. Their workforce is 30 per cent female – five times the provincial average participation rate for women in trades.