Why Women Don’t Get Promoted in the Trades—And How That Can Change

The Promotion Gap No One Talks About

The trades have a hiring problem. But they also have a promotion problem.

Women make up less than 5% of the skilled trades workforce in many regions. The number drops even further at leadership levels. Very few become supervisors. Even fewer become contractors or business owners.

This is not a talent issue. It is a system issue.

For someone like Tania-Joy Bartlett, the pattern is familiar. She built her career through qualifications, persistence, and hands-on experience. Still, she saw how promotion decisions often had little to do with skill.

“I watched people get moved up because they were born as society’s accepted gender in the trades, being male, not because they were knowledgeable, skilled or better at the work,” she says. “That tells you how the system is set up.”

Early Barriers Start Before Promotion

The promotion gap begins long before someone is considered for leadership.  It starts at the interview process for their apprenticeships and continues throughout their careers.

Women entering the trades often face:

• Fewer opportunities to take on complex tasks
• Less access to informal training
• Lower expectations from supervisors

These small differences add up.

One apprentice shared a clear example. She was assigned fire watch tasks while others were given technical work. Months later, those same workers had the experience needed to be successful in their apprenticeship. She did not.

“I realised I wasn’t falling behind because I couldn’t do the work,” she said. “I just wasn’t being given the chance.”

Confidence vs Perception on the Job Site

Promotion often depends on how confidence is perceived.

In many job site cultures:

• Assertive men are seen as leaders
• Assertive women are seen as difficult

That double standard changes outcomes.

Bartlett recalls moments where speaking up created friction.

“If I pointed out a mistake, it was taken as criticism,” she says. “If someone else said the same thing later, it was accepted.”

This creates a pressure to stay quiet. Staying quiet reduces visibility. Reduced visibility limits promotion.

Lack of Mentorship Slows Advancement

Mentorship is one of the fastest ways to grow in the trades. Many promotions happen through informal networks.

Those networks often exclude women.

Without mentorship:

• Skills develop slower
• Confidence takes longer to build
• Opportunities are harder to access

One worker described watching others get coached through complex installs while she was left to figure things out alone.

“They weren’t better,” she said. “They just had someone showing them the ropes.”

Bartlett highlights the difference mentorship can make.

“I’ve seen someone go from unsure to leading a job in months when they had the right support,” she says. “It’s not magic. It’s guidance.”

The Contractor Gap: Why So Few Make the Jump

Becoming a contractor requires more than technical skill. It requires confidence, connections, and belief in your own ability to lead.

Many women never reach that stage.

Common barriers include:

• Limited access to leadership experience
• Fewer industry connections
• Lack of visible role models
• Self-doubt built from years of exclusion

Bartlett speaks openly about this gap.

“You don’t see many women running crews or companies,” she says. “So it’s harder to picture yourself doing it.”

That visibility problem matters. People tend to pursue paths they can see.

Worksite Culture Still Holds People Back

Culture remains one of the biggest barriers to promotion.

On many sites:

• Mistakes are met with criticism instead of teaching
• Questions are seen as weakness
• Leadership is tied to personality, not skill

This environment rewards certain behaviours and pushes others out.

Bartlett remembers how culture shaped growth on different sites.

“I worked in places where people were afraid to ask questions,” she says. “And I worked in places where people learned fast because they could speak openly. The difference was everything.”

Culture decides who grows and who stalls.

What Needs to Change

The promotion gap is not fixed by hiring alone. It requires changes at the management level and every level there after.

Give Equal Access to Experience

Supervisors have a direct impact on this, and  must assign meaningful work evenly. Skill grows through practice.

Build Structured Mentorship

Pair new workers with mentors who teach, not intimidate.

Measure Skill, Not Personality

Promotion decisions should be based on work qualifications, safety awareness, and leadership behaviour.

Address Bias Directly

Leaders must recognise how perception shapes decisions. Awareness changes outcomes.

Increase Visibility

Highlight women in leadership roles. Representation changes expectations.

The Role of Personal Standards

While systems matter, personal standards and removing bias from job sites also play a role.

Bartlett focused heavily on qualifications and self-discipline.

“I made sure no one could question my work,” she says. “I held myself to a high standard and made sure I had the training and skills required to do any task required.

That approach helped her move forward in environments that were not always supportive.

But she is clear about one thing. Gender should not play a role when it comes to qualifications.

“You shouldn’t have to work twice as hard just to be seen the same,” she says.

Why This Matters for the Future of the Trades

The trades face a growing labour shortage. Fewer workers are entering the field. Experienced workers are retiring.

Ignoring half the talent pool is not sustainable.

Promoting more women into leadership roles:

• Strengthens teams
• Improves retention
• Expands the contractor base
• Brings new approaches to problem-solving

This is not about fairness alone. It is about performance.

A Shift That Starts on the Worksite

Real change does not come from policies alone. It comes from daily decisions on job sites.

Who gets trained.
Who gets heard.
Who gets trusted with responsibility.

Those decisions shape careers.

Bartlett puts it simply.

“Give people the chance, the support, and the respect,” she says. “You’ll see what they’re capable of.”