'Trades are a good career for women' - industry spokeswoman

Women make up 5 per cent of tradespeople. Photo / 123RF

Women in trades make up 5 per cent of tradespeople, but that statistic could be improved, says an industry spokeswoman.

Opportunities for a career in the trades have never been better, and it's time to change the thinking of a building site being seen as a man's world, Women in Trades (WIT) chairwoman Kylie Taffard says.

"The trades are a good career for women too, offering self-employment and flexibility long term," Taffard says.

Not-for-profit organisation WIT is holding a conference today at Auckland's GridAKL for women interested in learning about a career in trades.

At the conference, attendees will be taken on a tour of a construction site in Wynyard Quarter and will have access to information on different trades, trades training providers, apprenticeships and funding for scholarships.

New Zealand's construction industry is expected to grow to $25 billion in the next two years, in Auckland, and needs another 32,000 trades people to fulfil demand.

Taffard said getting more young people, especially women, into trade training was crucial to keeping up with growth in the sector.

Construction and trades make up an average 5 per cent of every country's GDP.