Since September last year, Cornelia Fernerud and Kristina Jonsson have been involved in building new care wards at Norrland University Hospital in Umeå together with the company Peab. Before that, they had no experience of construction work, but when the program is finished this fall, they can continue as construction apprentices.
- I graduated from the community program last spring and didn't know what I was going to do after that, but when I saw an ad about this I thought "why not"? I have always known that I like to work practically, says Cornelia.
2.3 percent are craftsmen
Peab started the Construction Year project last year to improve gender equality in the industry and at the same time find more skilled construction workers. In 2020, the percentage of women in the construction industry was only 10.1 percent and the percentage in the craft professions was as low as 2.3 percent, according to statistics from the employer organization Byggföretagen. Most women in the construction industry work as white-collar workers.
About 40 women now participate in the Construction Year, and another group will be started this autumn.
- You get versatility, often a better atmosphere in the group and a nicer workplace. Then there is no profession that is male or female, says Lina Örnberg, site manager for construction at Norrland University Hospital, about why it is important to have more women in the industry.
"Didn't know if it was fun"
Time will tell whether Cornelia Fernerud and Kristina Jonsson will be her future colleagues.
- When I started this, I didn't know if I would think it was fun, but now I enjoy it as much as possible, so hopefully it will only continue like this and we'll see, says Cornelia.