Repost: Builders aim to double skilled female workers

Contractors in Japan are recruiting tradeswomen to meet the industry's labor demands.

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The Japan Federation of Construction Contractors wants to double the number of skilled female construction workers to some 180,000 within the next five years to help ease the industry’s labor shortage.

Construction demand is expected to continue growing on the back of the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020 as well as reconstruction projects following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

It is the first time for the federation to set a numerical target for female workers, according to its officials.

“I hope more and more young people and women will enter the industry to help it remain attractive,” Mitsuyoshi Nakamura, chairman of the federation, said in February.

The federation will call on member contractors to take steps to improve the work environment for women, such as introducing staggered hours and women-only toilets.

It also wants them to form “Nadeshiko” teams of female supervisors and workers at construction sites, named after the Nadeshiko Japan national women’s soccer team.

Subcontractors will also be urged to improve the environment for female workers.

According to data from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, there were 3.37 million skilled construction workers in 2012. Of them, women accounted for only some 90,000, or 2.7 percent.

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