An exploratory study into the reasons why women students are not choosing construction related degrees in Ireland

Despite recent efforts by both the Irish Government and the Irish construction industry to recruit more women into construction, women are still distinctly underrepresented in many areas of the industry. The aim of this paper is to undertake an investigation into the main reasons why women students are not choosing construction related degrees in Ireland. A mixed-methods approach was adopted for the research including both a desk top study and case study analysis. The case study chosen was of registration numbers at Technological University Dublin during the period 2015 – 2023. The key findings show that there are a number of reasons why women students may not pursue a career in this industry. These include the work/life balance that the career will provide, the poor image the construction industry has as a possible place of work, lack of specific career guidance on this industry, students’ lack of confidence and parental influences. While the results suggest that there are several key reasons why women secondary school students so not choose construction related degrees, the research also examines potential ways to reduce the impact of such obstacles. Recommendations include highlighting women within the industry as role models, increasing knowledge of the industry among teachers and career guidance counsellors, and increasing the provision of Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects in schools.