Nearly 70% of tradeswomen with children under 18 have left or considered leaving their careers due to difficulties finding reliable child care, according to Utah State University. Difficulties finding reliable child care create a revolving door for talented women in the trades. While the skilled trades attract diverse talent, a majority of new apprentices do not complete their programs, threatening to negate initial diversity gains. Without significant investment in retention strategies and comprehensive support, especially for working parents, current diversity gains are unsustainable, exacerbating labor shortages. Recruiting diverse talent is only the first step; retaining it requires dismantling fundamental barriers.
Increasing Diversity in Skilled Trades
The construction industry has seen a notable increase in women entering the trades, a trend partly fueled by the pandemic and ongoing labor shortages, according to ConstructConnect. The notable increase in women entering the trades offers a critical opportunity to diversify the workforce, but it demands effective integration and support systems to ensure new entrants build lasting careers.
Joint Programs Lead the Way in Diversity Recruitment
Joint labor-management apprenticeship programs, sponsored by unions and contractors, are a key driver for initial diversity. NABTU data confirms these programs register more female, Black, Hispanic, and “other race” workers, and these groups account for a greater proportion of all joint apprentices compared to non-joint programs. Joint labor-management apprenticeship programs effectively attract diverse talent, yet recruitment success does not guarantee program completion.
The Hidden Crisis: High Attrition Rates
More than half of all apprentices leave their training programs before completion, regardless of race, gender, or program type, according to NABTU data. The high attrition rate of more than half of all apprentices reveals a systemic flaw in apprenticeship models: entry does not guarantee a successful career path. The industry's skilled worker pipeline is leaking significantly, undermining recruitment efforts.
Why Women Are Leaving: The Childcare Conundrum
Women exhibit lower completion rates and higher cancellation rates than men in apprenticeship programs, according to NABTU data. The disparity in completion and cancellation rates confirms that specific challenges disproportionately affect women, hindering their program completion. The demands of trades work, combined with inadequate support, often create an untenable situation for women, especially those with family responsibilities.
Impact on Workforce and Industry Goals
High attrition rates and women leaving the trades exacerbate the skilled labor shortage and hinder the industry's long-term growth. A stagnating, undiverse workforce risks failing to meet future demands.
Beyond Recruitment: Building Sustainable Support Systems
Investment in diversifying the skilled trades through joint apprenticeship programs is being squandered. High attrition rates across all programs (NABTU data) and childcare issues driving women from careers (Utah State University) confirm these programs are a revolving door without fundamental support system reforms. To build a stable, diverse workforce, industry leaders must shift focus from recruitment to aggressively addressing systemic barriers to completion, especially the childcare crisis. Addressing systemic barriers to completion, especially the childcare crisis, demands concerted effort from industry, unions, and policymakers to create inclusive environments beyond initial training.
If joint labor-management apprenticeship programs fail to implement comprehensive childcare solutions by Q3 2026, recruitment efforts will likely continue to fall short of building a sustainable, diverse skilled trades workforce.
