A quarter of the UK workforce are set to change careers within the next six months, according to a 2024 research report. With rising demand and a shortage of skilled trade workers around the world, many workers in the UK are switching from corporate to skilled trades.
One in four women in the UK would now consider becoming a tradesperson, a significant increase from previous years. But despite the rise of the tradeswoman revolution, Black women still face significant barriers to entry due to the persistent discriminatory nature of the field and lack of access to opportunities for training and work.
For example, there were only 4.3% of Black skilled trade workers in the UK in 2022. Unsurprisingly, the data on the percentage of Black women working in trades in the UK barely exists at all.