The construction industry in Ontario can no longer afford to ignore women

By Richard Lyall

for Senso Magazine

April 15, 2026                            

Ontario’s construction industry will have a labour problem when work picks up. Retirements are accelerating and the traditional pool of skilled workers won’t be enough to keep up with demand.

More than 245,000 construction workers - roughly 20 per cent of the workforce - are expected to retire by 2032. Over the next decade, the province will need to recruit more than 154,000 new workers just to meet anticipated demand.

The message is clear: if construction is serious about solving its pending labour shortage, recruiting and retaining women is not optional. It is essential.

Presently, women make up only five per cent of onsite tradespeople in Ontario, according to BuildForce Canada. That translates to about 14,200 working on the tools.

The residential construction industry is doing a bit better than the average. Women make up nearly six per cent of the residential workforce and close to seven per cent in new home construction.

For years, onsite participation hovered around three to four per cent before inching up to five per cent in 2023.

It is progress, but not enough.

With one in five workers set to retire, the industry can not afford to overlook half the population.

At a recent Women in Construction webinar hosted by RESCON, experts made it clear that recruitment efforts are working. Government programs, marketing campaigns and career fairs are driving record numbers of women into pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

Emily Arrowsmith of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum noted that women are completing pre-apprenticeship training in growing numbers. The problem is that too many are unable to find an employer willing to sponsor them as an apprentice. Without sponsorship, there is no apprenticeship.

That is not a pipeline problem. It is a hiring problem.

A recent survey by Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen (OBCT) found that tradeswomen are deeply committed to their careers and 82 per cent see themselves still working in the industry in the next two to five years. Sixty-two per cent report being satisfied with their job and work environment, and 65 per cent are satisfied with their compensation and benefits.

More than half - 58 per cent - entered the trades as a second career, often after age 25. These are not accidental workers. They are making deliberate choices.

Yet barriers persist.

The OBCT report confirms that women are committed, capable, and eager to stay - but the industry still makes it harder than it needs to be for them to succeed.

Worksite culture remains the single biggest factor in whether women stay in the industry. More than half of tradeswomen surveyed reported experiencing harassment at work. Two-thirds identified the need for properly fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) and appropriate bathroom facilities.

Ontario has introduced policy changes mandating appropriately fitting PPE and better facilities for women on larger sites, a sign that the province recognizes these issues.

Perhaps the most telling statistic in the OBCT report is that 67 per cent of respondents identified more women in leadership position as the top priority for long-term retention. Gender bias in advancement decisions was cited by 37 per cent as a barrier.

Representation shapes culture quickly. When women supervise crews, manage projects and sit at executive tables, issues like facilities, mentorship and workplace expectations stop being abstract discussions and become operational priorities.

The construction industry prides itself on practicality, but it appears that half the potential workforce is being overlooked.

Ontario will need hundreds of thousands of skilled tradespeople in the coming decade to build homes, hospitals, roads and infrastructure. Women are the untapped resource for our industry.

Recruiting and retaining more women to work in the construction industry is not just a social issue; it is a workforce necessity. While labour shortages may be inevitable in the future, excluding women is not.

Women want to work in the industry. We’ve seen that from the reports and anecdotal evidence. The industry must figure out how to tap into this large labour pool. Our future depends on it.

Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at media@rescon.com.