To encourage a wider diversity of people into the trades, Find-a-tradesperson platform Rated People will rename National Tradesmen Day as National Tradespeople Day on September 16, 2022.

Researchers at Rated People interviewed 3,000 UK residents, tradespeople and 16-18 year-old school leavers to uncover how non-inclusive language, such as ‘tradesmen’ is still being used.

The study revealed 80% of UK residents still use the term ‘tradesmen’ to refer to all people working within the industry.

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In addition, it also found gendered language is also still being used in career advice in school. having a negative effect on the number of young people considering a career in the industry.

Three quarters (73%) of 16-18-year-olds heard the term ‘tradesmen’ as a collective term for all people who work in trade professions.

Over 40% (42%) say they would be more likely to consider a career in the trades if more inclusive language was used in career advice.

Rated People is now calling for UK schools to stop career advice from using gendered terms like ‘tradesmen’ as a collective term for everyone in trade professions, to drive positive change within the industry.

Rated People wants to make it easier for more people, regardless of gender, ethnicity or sexuality to get into the industry and thrive.

Encouraging a broader range of young people into trade careers will be a key avenue to close the skills gap, believes Rated People.

According to its survey, almost nine in 10 (87%) tradespeople think it would be good for more women to start working in the industry.

Current career advice appears to be falling short though, as the study also discovered less than half (42%) of 16-18-year-old girls were given a trade career as a potential option at school.

Whereas 65% of boys had trade careers communicated to them as viable career choices.

In order to boost awareness, Rated People is also launching a new nationwide TV campaign to promote the diversity message.

The newly launched TV advert shows ‘if you’ve got the skills, we’ve got the jobs’ to highlight the most important thing is how skilled you are, and nothing else.

CEO of Rated People Adrienne Minster commented: “Many factors have contributed to the workforce shortages across the industry – from an aging workforce and reduced numbers of young people getting into trade professions, to Brexit and poor career advice.

“With demand higher than ever, it’s critical that more is done to encourage young people into the industry.

“For an industry that offers great financial security and job fulfillment, more needs to be done to ensure young people see this as a welcoming environment where they can flourish – where everybody, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or sexuality, can thrive.

“One of the biggest ways to break down stereotypes is to use more inclusive language and we hope our campaign for diversity will start to drive a positive change in the industry.

“It’s also important to say that this is no way a slight to all the hardworking and incredible tradesmen within the industry – we salute you and all the amazing work you do.

“We acknowledge the historical workforce shortage in Britain right now and want more people to get into the industry. We hope that using more inclusive language will help to achieve that.”