Over the past five years, the number of women taking training courses in construction with the Walloon employment office Forem increased by 28%, it announced on Tuesday.
In 2022, 228 women were trained to be painters, tilers, carpenters, and construction designers. Construction industry federation Embuild notes the same dynamic. The number of female employees in the construction sector has jumped by 19% in 2015-2020, while the number of self-employed women workers jumped by 35% in the same period.
Capitalising on this trend, on 20 April, Forem will organise a “Ladies in construction” training event at its centre in Saint-Servais, Namur, to raise awareness about the number of positions available in the sector. In total 2,139 construction-related jobs are currently available on the Forem website.
At the event, female construction workers and interns will be there to discuss their backgrounds and careers with participants. Women interested in the event can sign up through the Forem website.
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“Given the challenges related to the labour shortage, it is essential to set up various strategies for integrating women into these professions. Beyond a vast communication campaign which will soon be relaunched with various partners, the Government of Wallonia has also just created a new sector coach to promote gender equality in the sector,” commented Walloon Minister for Employment, Christie Morreale.
Across Belgium, it is estimated that there are around 27,200 women working in the construction sector, up 4% from 2022, according to statistics from Flemish industry federation Bouwunie.
