B.C. organization works to improve gender representation in the trades

Kristen Keighley-Wight

Six-point-two percent. That’s the share of B.C.’s construction workforce that is female, according to the BC Construction Association’s Spring 2026 stat pack. It may seem small, but it represents important progress—nearly a full percentage point increase from last year, or 2,250 more women working in the trades today than last spring.

At the BC Centre for Women in the Trades (BCCWITT), we track these numbers closely as we work to build on them.

Why is the percentage still so low? For decades, women and gender-diverse workers have faced barriers that limited access to the good-paying, family-supporting careers the trades offer—from lack of early exposure and ongoing stigma to challenges faced when they are isolated on site and struggle to find the mentorship and support required to navigate workplace challenges.

But times are changing, and so are the opportunities. As Sussanne Skidmore, BCCWITT governance committee chair and president of the BC Federation of Labour, notes, “The B.C. government’s record-setting $241 million investment in trades training has presented us all with an unprecedented opportunity to invest in creating a stronger, more stable, and diverse trades workforce. That includes ensuring we get more women and gender-diverse folks into the trades jobs that are helping build our communities and our economy.”

This isn’t only the right thing to do, it’s essential. Provincial and federal governments have set ambitious housing and infrastructure goals to meet demand and support long-term economic growth. Meeting those goals requires more workers—and women represent the largest untapped source of skilled trades talent.

Lisa Scott, a Red Seal electrician and member of BCCWITT’s governance committee, is passionate about helping ensure more people see themselves in these jobs. Through her work with the Construction Foundation of BC, she travels the province leading conversations, workshops, and trades camps with students from underrep-
resented groups. “When I teach camps, I see excitement and passion in the girls, and I see confidence grow,” she says. “Sometimes parents reach out afterward, amazed at the confidence their kids come home with.”

She hears a similar desire from adults: “Moms sometimes ask if they can sign up to learn these skills, too, and many tradeswomen say they wish these camps had existed when they were in school. Most of us found the trades as a second or third career because we didn’t even know these options were available. And more people should know these are great careers that pay well and can change lives.”

The interest is there. The need is there. The opportunities are growing.

But challenges remain—especially around retention. Too many women leave the industry due to issues that are preventable: lack of supportive mentorship, isolation on worksites, harassment and psychological health and safety concerns, and the absence of child-care options that align with early work hours of construction and trades work.

That means we need not only to recruit more women into the trades, but also to ensure they can build long, successful careers once they’re there.

That’s why BCCWITT is proud to sponsor Construction Month and to work alongside industry leaders, organizations, and allies who are committed to building more safe, sustainable career opportunities for all trades workers in B.C.

Kristen Keighley-Wight is the executive director of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades.

This article was originally published in the Surrey Now-Leader: https://digital.surreynowleader.com/specialsections/Surrey-Now-Leader-X-04302026/5/