Women in Construction Conference 2026: Developing Pathways to Rewarding Careers and Senior Roles
Overview
Women remain significantly underrepresented across the construction workforce, particularly within on-site roles and senior leadership. Progress has been made in expanding entry pathways and apprenticeships, however, workplace cultures continue to restrict long-term career progression. Addressing these challenges will require industry leadership, stronger development pathways and more inclusive working environments across the sector.
- Women make up around 15% of the UK construction workforce (340,000 workers) However, only about 1–2% of on-site trade roles are held by women (ONS, 2023)
- Female apprenticeship starts increased by 62% between 2018/19 and 2023/24 (CITB, 2025)
- Women occupy just 9.2% of the highest-paid roles in construction, while 29% are in the lowest-paid quartile (New Civil Engineer, 2023)
Join us at the Women in Construction Conference 2026: Developing Pathways to Rewarding Careers to explore approaches to improving representation, strengthening career pathways and developing more inclusive working environments across the sector. Bringing together industry bodies and construction organisations, the programme will support strategies for recruitment, retention and progression, while highlighting initiatives that are driving change across the workforce. Attendees will also have the opportunity to network and connect with peers from across the construction industry.
Previous Supporters Include
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Keynote: Employer Action Plans: Cultural Change in Construction
- Moving beyond gender pay gap reporting to employer action plans and what this means for construction firms under new UK regulation
- Identifying the drivers of inequality in construction
- Tackling bias in recruitment and workplace culture, including gendered job adverts and barriers to comfortable workplaces
- Ensuring accountability in leadership and drive for cultural change
Gillian Unsworth, Deputy Director, Women’s Equality Division, Office for Equality and Opportunity, Cabinet Office (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Improving Pathways for Young Women into Construction Through Accreditation
- Despite many interventions over the years to attract more women into Construction, the dial has still not changed enough
- To attract and retain the best women for the industry, we must change the perception of the industry with young people, enabling them to better understand the amazing career prospects in this growth industry, to both attract and retain them.
- The ecosystem must be changed for collaboration across companies, building a ‘Construction Pathway to Employment’, specifically focused on young women, with employers and supporting organisations working together to enable improved impact on your outreach spend
- Learn how Industrial Cadets, an award scheme building work readiness skills, can enable this collaboration to meet the workforce needs of the future
Julie Feest OBE, Chief Executive Officer, The Engineering Development Trust (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Improving Entry Pathways and Apprenticeships for Women
- Expanding apprenticeships and work placement opportunities that encourage women to pursue careers in construction and skilled trades
- Engaging schools and careers services to raise awareness of the wide range of roles available in construction and inspire the next generation of women to enter the sector
- Removing financial barriers to training and entry routes by improving access to funding and flexible working
- Highlighting success stories from early-career professionals to demonstrate achievable career pathways and encourage greater participation
Senior Representative, Construction Industry Training Board (invited)
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: Developing Successful Career Paths for Women in Construction
Connect with industry peers and share experiences to advance women’s careers in construction during this interactive breakout networking session.
Comfort Break
Keynote: Creating Inclusive Construction Sites
- Improving inclusivity on construction sites by addressing challenges such as appropriate facilities, PPE provision and site design
- Strengthening leadership and management capability to support respectful and inclusive behaviours
- Embedding diversity and inclusion standards across contractors, subcontractors and supply chains to ensure consistent workplace experiences
- Promoting accountability through feedback and clear reporting structures to address potential issues and support positive change
Keynote: Transforming Workplace Cultures in Construction
- Challenging outdated workplace norms and improving site culture through leadership
- Embedding inclusive practices across project teams and supply chains to ensure equality is prioritised throughout all levels of the construction workforce
- Exploring the role of senior leadership in driving cultural change and setting expectations holding organisations accountable for progress on inclusion
- Creating workplaces where women feel valued and able to progress by promoting respectful working environments and addressing barriers to career development
Mark Harrison, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Transformation, Chartered Institute of Building (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Increasing Visibility of Women in Construction
- Showcasing initiatives that support women to increase their visibility across the construction and wider infrastructure industry, including emerging areas such as data centres and digital skills
- Encouraging participation in project leadership, particularly within infrastructure and technical roles
- Highlighting the importance of visible role models and leadership in encouraging more women to enter and progress within construction and infrastructure careers
- Linking visibility and representation to the wider skills challenge across the infrastructure sector, including the need for greater diversity in construction and digital/data skills
Milda Manomaityte, Chief Executive Officer, Association for Consultancy and Engineering (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Conference End
Previous Speakers
Julia Stevens
Executive Director, Wales
CITB
Olivia Jenkins
Co-Chair
National Association of Women in Construction
Deborah Garlick
Founder
Henpicked
Get in Touch
Testimonials
A great half-day session, it was engaging, informative and full of practical insights.
The Women in Construction Conference is an excellent platform for organisations to explore how we can work together to attract and retain more women in the industry.
The conference was informative and well presented. All of the speakers came across knowledgeable and spoke really well.
The Women in Construction Conference was an inspiring and empowering event. It provided valuable insight and practical tools to support women in the construction industry.
Why You Should Attend
- Gain an overview of current trends and challenges in achieving gender inclusion within the construction industry
- Explore inclusive recruitment and onboarding practices aimed at attracting and retaining top talent from diverse backgrounds
- Hear high-level keynotes and case studies on breaking barriers, building inclusive cultures and supporting women’s career progression in construction
- Gain 4 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend
| Job Titles | Organisation Examples |
| Diversity & Inclusion Managers | Construction Companies |
| HR Directors / Talent Managers | Local Authorities |
| Apprenticeship Coordinators | Further Education Institutions |
| Learning & Development Leads | Trade Associations |
| Site Managers / Project Managers | National Training Organisations |
| Heads of Training and Skills | Housing Associations |
| Workforce Development Officers | Government Departments |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 4 CPD Points.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 4 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 4 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
