A lack of awareness of existing opportunities is among barriers to women pursuing jobs in the construction industry, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) says.
The body also points to a dearth of female role models and a lack of exposure to the possibilities of careers in the sector during girls’ school years as factors compounding the issue.
Women represent about 20 per cent of the surveying profession, the SCSI states, and 33 per cent of the workforce in the area of property and estate agencies. However, the number of female employees is much lower in construction and land, at about 12 per cent.
There has, however, been steady year-on-year progress in female representation across the surveying disciplines, the SCSI says.
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Since 2021, it has run a mentorship programme for women in the surveying profession called Elevate and about 175 mentors and mentees have taken part in the programme to date.
It is also collaborating with industry partners through its Culture Workplace Initiative. The aim of the programme is to create a more welcoming environment for women and underrepresented groups considering careers in surveying, says Gwen Wilson, registrar and director of regulation at the SCSI.
Women’s Day event
To mark International Women’s Day, the SCSI is hosting a lunch event for members at their offices on Merrion Square from 12pm-1pm on Thursday, March 5th. Places are limited and you can reserve a place online at scsi.ie. The event can also be accessed online.
The keynote speaker at the event will be Therese Coveney, co-founder and chief executive of the Together Academy, which aims to transform the employment prospects and lives of young adults with Down syndrome in Ireland.
Fionnuala O’Buachalla from JLL, where a Together Academy graduate is employed, and Emer Byrne of TU Dublin, will join the panel, which will be chaired by Lily Ellis of NetApp. In addition, Treasa Fitzgibbon of the Career Activist will speak about the value of mentorship to organisations and the importance of allyship in the workplace.
