Caroline Henn Trains Tradeswomen Amid UK Skills Crisis 2026 Bristol

Key Points

• Caroline Henn, from Brislington in Bristol, runs BePractical DIY, offering women hands-on training in construction, plumbing, and electrical work
• The UK construction industry is dominated by men, with 96% of jobs held by men according to BBC reporting
• ONS data shows women make up just 2.36% of skilled trades workers in England and Wales
• Henn has partnered with Clevedon’s BuildHers UK to offer training and tester courses
• Henn developed her building skills while converting a barn into a holiday home in west Wales
• The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) says attracting more women is vital to address the UK’s skills crisis and aging workforce
• Over 35,000 construction job vacancies exist nationwide with more than half unfilled
• 42% of small builders reported jobs delayed due to lack of skilled labour in Q4 2024
• 36% of construction workers are aged 50 or older, indicating an aging workforce
• Henn founded Practical Women, a team of five professional female tradespeople based in Bristol
• BePractical DIY classes attract primarily female participants but are open to all skill levels
• The government announced £600 million investment in March 2025 to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers

Brislington (Bristol Express News) June 22, 2026 – Caroline Henn from Brislington in Bristol has made it her mission to help train potential tradeswomen as the construction industry remains overwhelmingly dominated by men.

How Visible Are Women in UK Trades and Why Does It Matter?

“You don’t see many women in the trades generally. So something is not attracting them into it,”

Henn said in an interview reported by BBC.

“[Women] are not visible enough doing it, so lots of people don’t know that it can happen”.

As reported by the BBC, Henn operates BePractical DIY, which provides women with practical training in construction, plumbing, and electrical work. The industry where she teaches sees men occupy 96% of roles in the UK.

According to research from the National House Building Council cited by Probuilder Mag, the need for an additional 225,000 construction workers in the UK by 2027 exists – a staggering 45,000 per year.

What Do the Statistics Show About Female Representation in Skilled Trades?

As reported by Kyle Eaton, money.co.uk business insurance expert, in Probuilder Mag, ONS figures show women currently make up just 2.36% of skilled trades workers in England and Wales.

The data reveals the following breakdown for skilled trade workers in England and Wales:

As reported by Probuilder Mag, there are 1,051,508 skilled workers total, with 1,026,734 male and just 24,774 female.

According to the LQ Group, ONS data shows the number of women in skilled construction trades has remained stagnant for two decades, standing at just 298,000.

How Is Caroline Henn Building Her Training Programme?

Henn has teamed with Clevedon’s BuildHers UK to offer training and tester courses, as reported by BBC. She developed her building skills while converting a barn into a holiday home in west Wales.

As reported by Bristol 247, at age 25 Henn bought her own home without deep pockets for essential improvements, so she taught herself.

“That experience, followed by ten years of farming pigs on a run-down smallholding in west Wales, gave me great grounding in practical skills to start my enterprise,”

Henn said.

Henn’s vision to inspire more women and girls to take up trades gave way to the skills school BePractical in Brislington, according to Bristol 247.

According to Henn as reported by Bristol 247, the evening DIY clubs are “fun, relaxed and collaborative”. Attendees can bring their own DIY issues and the class works through solutions, teaching basic theory on the job.

What Is Henn’s Enterprise Practical Women?

As reported by Bristol 247, Henn has industry accreditations and passes on experiences through her all-female tradespeople enterprise Practical Women.

Practical Women consists of five skilled tradeswomen alongside Caroline: Caragh on flooring, Claire on bathroom fitting, Sarah on plumbing, Harriet on electrics, and Catherine as the newest member.

Their portfolio includes bespoke kitchens, bathrooms, decking, and plastering. The team is booked until late summer for larger projects but keeps time for smaller undertakings.

According to Henn as reported by Bristol 247,

“I have been working as a tradeperson in homes in Bristol for years, and have spoken to lots of people who wish they could DIY, but lacked confidence to give it a go”.

“I’ve also met many people, particularly women, who have had bad experiences at the hands of unscrupulous tradesmen. Part of what bePractical-DIY wants to do is to improve people’s knowledge of all things practical, so that they feel empowered to challenge when they realise that things are not as they should be,”

Henn said.

Why Does the Federation of Master Builders Say Attracting Women Is Vital?

The Federation of Master Builders also said it is vital the industry attracts more women to address the UK’s skills crisis and aging workforce, as reported by BBC.

As reported by Project Scot, the FMB has called for ‘urgent action’ to address the UK construction sector’s ‘skills crisis’.

The visit highlighted escalating skills crisis with recent figures showing over 35,000 construction job vacancies nationwide.

More than half of these positions remain unfilled, according to the FMB report. The trade body’s State of Trade Survey for Q4 2024 revealed as many as 42% of small, local builders reported having jobs delayed due to lack of skilled labour.

According to the Fabian Society report, women made up just 15 per cent of workers in construction in 2025, the lowest proportion in any sector of the economy.

Furthermore, women made up just 9 per cent of apprenticeship starts in construction and built environment.

The construction workforce is ageing rapidly, with more than one in three (36 per cent) workers aged 50 or older, according to the Fabian Society.

What Action Is Being Taken to Address the Skills Gap?

In March 2025 the government announced £600 million of investment to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers, as reported by Strategic Resourcing.

With 20% more workers over 55 than under 25, construction is an ageing sector with much to do to avoid the retirement cliff fast approaching, according to Strategic Resourcing.

A report by training and Apprenticeship provider PfP Thrive claims over one third of construction workers will retire by 2035, which puts the government’s target for 1.3 million new homes at serious risk.

According to PFP Thrive’s UK Construction Skills Shortage Report 2025, women represent just 0.9% of housebuilders and 4% of skilled trades.

How Can Trade Businesses Attract Diverse Talent?

Kyle Eaton, money.co.uk business insurance expert, offers tips on how trade businesses can attract diverse talent, as reported by Probuilder Mag.

Workplaces focusing on diversity have a range of experiences, opinions, and beliefs that can benefit your business, improve morale, and solve problems creatively, Eaton said.

The expert recommends five key approaches:

1. Review recruitment strategy by checking job descriptions for gendered language like ‘tradesman’
2. Focus on positives by highlighting benefits of careers as skilled tradespeople with steady wages
3. Promote supportive company culture ensuring workers feel respected, valued, and safe
4. Encourage word-of-mouth referrals asking existing staff to use networks to attract diverse talent
5. Target diverse spaces tailoring recruitment to include places where underrepresented people are more likely to see vacancies

According to a survey cited by Probuilder Mag, 1 in 4 women said they would consider becoming a tradesperson, contrasting strongly with the industry’s low levels of female employment.

Historically, women have faced barriers including being discouraged from accessing training due to traditionally masculine image, but initiatives like Empowered Women in Trades and Women and Manual Trades have been implemented.

Background: The Development of Women-in-Trades Initiatives in UK Construction

This development centers on Caroline Henn’s BePractical DIY initiative in Brislington, Bristol, which emerged from Henn’s personal journey of self-taught practical skills.

At age 25, Henn bought her first home and taught herself improvements due to limited funds, then spent ten years farming pigs on a smallholding in west Wales, gaining grounding in practical skills.

Henn founded Practical Women, an all-female tradespeople enterprise based in Bristol area offering electrical, plumbing, kitchen, bathroom, carpentry, and painting services. The team includes five skilled tradeswomen covering flooring, bathroom fitting, plumbing, electrics, and carpentry.

BePractical DIY was established as a skills school in Brislington providing DIY training to community members who wouldn’t normally access such training.

The classes are not exclusively for women, but majority of attendees are women due to the all-female core.

Henn partnered with Clevedon’s BuildHers UK, described as “the UK’s home of Female Trades” covering North Somerset, to offer training and tester courses. BuildHers operates workforce development for women in construction, providing holistic training, tools, and employment support.

The Federation of Master Builders has been calling for action on the skills crisis since Q4 2024, with their State of Trade Survey revealing 42% of small builders experiencing job delays.

The FMB is calling for a three-pronged approach including a construction skills plan, minimum competence standards, and clear training pathways.

Government intervention came in March 2025 with £600 million investment announced to train 60,000 more skilled workers.

The National House Building Council research indicates need for 225,000 additional construction workers by 2027.

Prediction: How This Development Can affect Women Seeking Trade Careers in the UK

This development can affect women seeking trade careers in several measurable ways based on current industry conditions and initiatives.

Employment Opportunities for Female Tradespeople

With over 35,000 construction job vacancies nationwide and more than half unfilled, increased training programmes like BePractical DIY could provide women with direct pathways to fill these positions.

The 45,000 new workers needed annually by 2027 represents significant opportunity for women entering the field.

Women currently make up 15.2% of total UK construction workforce but only 2% working on-site and 1.6% in skilled trades roles, according to CIOB 2025 data.

Training programmes targeting women could help close this gap between overall representation and skilled trades representation.

Income and Financial Independence

As reported by Probuilder Mag, working in a trade is in high demand, offering diverse recruits job satisfaction and a steady wage.

The BuildHers model includes a Savings and Credit Cooperative promoting savings culture and providing access to personal financial services for tradeswomen alumnae.

Henn’s own team is booked until late summer for larger projects, demonstrating that female tradespeople can achieve commercial success and consistent income.

Confidence and Self-Relief at Home

According to Henn as reported by Bristol 247, being able to carry out simple repairs at home yourself can save money, and skills gained could mean finding and addressing issues before they turn into large-scale expensive repairs.

BePractical DIY aims to improve people’s knowledge so they feel empowered to challenge when realising things are not as they should be, particularly for women who have had bad experiences with unscrupulous tradesmen.

Barriers That May Persist

Despite 1 in 4 women saying they would consider becoming a tradesperson, representation has remained largely unchanged for two decades at 298,000 women in skilled construction trades, according to ONS data.

Women in Wales face even steeper challenges, with female representation in trades falling to less than one per cent in Wales according to Tai Pawb.

Historical barriers including discouragement from accessing training due to traditionally masculine image remain, though initiatives are being implemented.

Apprenticeship and Training Access

Women made up just 9 per cent of apprenticeship starts in construction and built environment, according to Fabian Society. Training programmes specifically targeting women could help increase this percentage.