Unlocking an Overlooked Talent Pool: Women in Construction & What Nuclear Can Learn š”
As the construction sector accelerates efforts to diversify its workforce, the nuclear industry stands to benefit from similar strategies. Two recent initiatives highlight ways to systematically empower women in traditionally male-dominated fieldsāand their lessons are directly transferable to nuclear careers.
1.āÆWomen in Construction: The Power Within Training
Founded by Michaela Wain, Enas Fleming, and James Fleming, this UK initiative offers leadership and mindset development tailored for women entering and advancing in construction.
- Leadership training through Motivational Intelligence (MQ): The program equips women with communication, resilience, and self-belief skillsākey for navigating workplace biases.
- Holistic development community: A supportive space combining free webinars, eBooks, and workshops creates a network of peers and mentors.
- Proven impact: Participants are rising into leadership roles, leading cultural initiatives, and being promoted faster than industry averages.
2.āÆIndustry Push to Retain Women Apprentices
Data from the Construction & Industry Training Board reveals a 65% surge in women starting apprenticeships over five years; completion rates have more than doubled, from ~340 to 930 annually.
- Despite this progress, women still occupy just 1% of site-based rolesāunderscoring the need for retention strategies.
- Major drivers of early exits include lack of support, poor workplace culture, and few visible role models.
- Programs blending technical skills with emotional resilience training, and creating mentorship structures, have shown measurable success: more women complete apprenticeships and take leadership roles.
Sources: [women-in-c…tion.co.uk], [waterpower…gazine.com]
What Nuclear Can Learn & Implement
š ļø 1. Combine Technical Training with Mindset Development
- Like construction, early-career nuclear roles (e.g., apprenticeships, engineering cadets) benefit when enriched with MQ-style workshops on communication and confidence.
š„ 2. Build Supportive Communities
- Create mentorship networks and peer groups, promoting belonging and shared guidance. Nuclear apprentices or junior staff mentoring each other and collaborating with senior women builds long-term retention.
š 3. Champion and Showcase Leadership Role Models
- Promote successful women in nuclear operations, engineering, regulation, and leadership, amplifying diverse voices to inspire incoming talentāespecially at site or operational levels.
āļø 4. Embed Equity in Culture
- Tackle structural barriers: ensure equitable pay, flexible working, inclusive culture training, and safe grievance channels. This makes commitment to diversity more than just a tick box.
š 5. Track Impact through Data
- Monitor hires, retention, progression, and workplace satisfaction by gender. Use results to refine programs and demonstrate ROIāmirroring the proof-backed benefits construction is seeing.
As the industry expands, opportunities are emerging across every part of the value chain ā from engineering and manufacturing to logistics, safety, and operations. At Nuclear Careers, weāre helping connect skilled professionals with the organisations leading this transformation.
š If youāre ready to plan your talent & skills strategy, we can help.
š For candidates interested to play a role in shaping the future of clean, secure energy, now is the time to get involved.