Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>How can we encourage more women to start a career as an electrician?
Last updated: 3 January 2025
How can we encourage more women to start a career as an electrician?
Stereotypically a male dominated world, the UK trade industry is evolving. As more women consider becoming a tradesperson, we’ve delved into how we can encourage more women to start a career as an electrician.
A brief overview of women in trade
It’s no secret that the entire UK trades industry has a significant lack of female representation. In fact, in the latest edition of the Trade Skills Index, there was still a substantial gender bias in the construction industry. With women making up less than 10% of the workforce.
Whether it’s women in carpentry or females in construction, it follows the same trend, even as more and more females have gone on to become tradespeople over the years.
But why is this and is there anything else we can be doing to encourage women to enter roles such as becoming an electrician?
What percentage of electricians are female?
Now that we’ve had a quick overview of the trade industry and what this looks like for women, it’s time to get specific. So, just how many electricians out there are female?
According to research by Electrician Courses 4U, only 3.18% of those working in the electrical and electronic trades in 2021 were female. This only highlights the gender diversity issue, and the need for seeing how we can encourage women to become electricians.
How can we help women start a career as an electrician?
Being a female electrician can immediately help you stand out, but getting to that point is sometimes easier said than done. From dealing with prejudicial and sexist attitudes to knowing where to get started, there’s still more to do to get women into the industry.
Below are some ways we can help women start a career as an electrician and bridge the gap:
By sharing how to get started
First and foremost, to get women into the electrical trade, they need to know how to get started.
When it comes to becoming an electrician there are a few possible routes including college courses, apprenticeships or applying to jobs directly. For more information, we’ve written a guide going through everything you need to know about training to be an electrician.
There’s also Checkatrade’s Get In programme which supports young people to take the first step and get started in a trade career. Read Lauren’s story on About Apprenticeships to find out why apprenticeships are some important for encouraging females to become electricians.
By creating a safe and supportive working environment
If you’ve started your electrician business, it’s your responsibility to create a safe and supportive working environment for everyone.
However, there are certain steps you can take to make sure that you’re also addressing issues that specifically concern women. This includes equal pay, equal opportunities, flexible working, open discussions around tradespeople and mental health, and preventing sexism in the workplace.
By empowering women to join the electrical industry
Finding an entry point can be tricky enough let alone daunting in a male-led industry. There’s a huge demand for tradeswomen in the electrical industry so it’s important to make sure they feel empowered to join.
As with anything, representation is key so being able to see other females succeeding in the industry. Just take a look at Cathy’s story where she explains how she’s built up a successful all-female electrician business.
By breaking down the stereotypes
The electrical industry might be stereotypically seen as a ‘man’s world’, but this is only true from a numbers point of view. Female electricians are just as capable as their male counterparts.
There’s also the notion that it’s too physically demanding that women might not be best suited to the job. This is false. Whilst certain parts of the job will require more heavy lifting, safety measures mean this isn’t a problem. Being of a smaller stature can actually even come in handy for times when you’ve got to fit into small and crowded spots.
Build your reputation and join Checkatrade
Whether you’re a interested in becoming a sole trader or starting your own electrician business, we’re here to support you along the way.
Below are just some of the reasons you might to consider joining Checkatrade and build your reputation:
Get access to exclusive member benefits and discounts and save money on all sorts of costs from insurance to tools
Gain the trust of homeowners by displaying our Checkatrade tick next to your name. This shows potential customers that you’ve been checked and approved by us
Choose the right type of membership for you. Our fixed membership option lets you build the plan that’s perfect for you and your business needs, so we do not have a 'one size fits all' approach
Female electrician FAQs
Are homeowners willing to hire female electricians?
Yes, lots of homeowners would be happy to hire female electricians. Research by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) actually found that over a third of UK residents would even prefer to hire a female tradesperson.
Whilst there may be various reasons for why this might be, one could be due to feeling safe and at ease. For instance, female homeowners are more likely to trust a qualified female electrician working in their home.
Can I make good money as a female electrician?
The answer to this is most definitely yes! As an electrician, your services are constantly in-demand.
There is also the gender pay gap which is prevalent across practically every industry. Using the ONS gender pay gap explorer tool, female electricians reportedly earn, on average, 18.4% less than men. Of course, this is just an estimate, and this will vary person-by-person.
Like any other job, it’s important to do your own research so that you know what to expect. Our guide on electrician salaries can give you a better idea what to expect from apprentice to business owner level.
