Housing Associations Taking Action
Here’s the good news - some of our Housing partners are putting the work in.
We’ve spoken to Welsh housing associations like Bron Afon Community Housing and Llanw, part of the Valleys to Coast group, who are actively breaking down these barriers and reshaping the landscape for underrepresented genders in trades.
Here’s what’s working:
- Targeted Apprenticeships for women and non-binary applicants
- Partnering with schools and colleges to showcase what opportunities are available
- Developing existing female tradespeople to enable them to effectively mentor/support female apprentices
- EDI training and anonymous staff perception surveys across the organisation
- Inclusive access to PPE and fitted workwear
- Revamping recruitment processes to focus more on practical abilities and customer service skills
- Listening to the voices of women and gender-diverse tradespeople already in the teams
- Ensuring their suppliers provide welfare facilities for females visiting their buildings
- Embedding equality and inclusion expectations directly into their contractor agreements
"At Llanw, we don’t just see the gender imbalance in our industry, we’re determined to change the story. Our journey began by partnering with a local college to ensure doors were open for female apprentices and making it clear that they belong and are valued here. But that was just the beginning.
From there, our focus expanded to creating inclusive environments where everyone, regardless of gender, can feel valued, supported and had equal opportunities to thrive."
Sian Macnamara (Business Support Manager, Llanw)
This is what moving to a proactive approach looks like. And it's exactly what the housing sector needs more of.
