Half of surveyed girls aged 16-18 say they haven’t been offered the same opportunities to enter the trades as their male counterparts, despite 4 in 10 considering a career in the industry while at school.

When asked why they would avoid a trade career, 16–18-year-old girls said their top three reasons were a lack of information provided by their school (37%), and the feeling that the industry is too male-dominated (27%) or too intimidating (23%).

This was followed by a lack of apprenticeship options (21%) and the concern that they weren’t strong enough (19%). 

The survey also reveals a critical lack of role models for girls to look up to in the sector, with three-quarters of 16-to-18-year-olds saying they’re unaware of any women currently working as a tradesperson.

Over half of all respondents who considered a career in the industry believe seeing more women in Trade would have convinced them to pursue it. 

The results add context to recent findings from Kingfisher - B&Q’s parent company - that only 2% of tradespeople in the UK are women.

With the nation potentially missing out on up to £98 billion by 2030 thanks to a lack of tradespeople, according to the same report, the industry must do all it can to welcome emerging talent rather than shutting doors.

To address this challenge, B&Q is investing over £1 million in funding trade apprenticeships – using the apprenticeship levy Transfer to Transform scheme – and wants as many of those places to go to women as possible. So far, of the 110 apprentices currently being funded, only one is a woman.

Amélie Gallichan-Todd, supply & logistics director and inclusivity lead at B&Q, commented: "It's evident that there is a significant disparity between the increasing interest and participation of women in DIY and their representation in the trade sector. We want to attract more women into trade professions and that starts at school.”

B&Q TradePoint has been looking to collaborate with female trade professionals to provide more encouragement and inspiration for young girls looking to enter the industry.