BESA Criticises Lack of Diversity in Heating and Hot Water Industry

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17 February 2023

New research shows that 2 per cent of the heating and hot water industry sector’s workforce are women and only 5 per cent are from an ethnic minority background.

The study, from Energy Systems Catapult emphasises that the heating sector is already experiencing labour shortages, due to an ageing workforce with few new entrants.

The report argues that women and people from ethnic minority communities represent an untapped talent pool that could help address both the labour and skills shortage.

The failure to develop a more diverse workforce is undermining attempts to accelerate the decarbonisation of heating and hot water production in buildings and meet government targets for scaling up heat pump installations and replacing gas boilers, BESA believes.

"It is crucial that we shift the ‘male, stale and pale’ image so that we can recruit the multi-background, multi-talented workforce our companies need to play their part in future economic growth. Otherwise, it is hard to see how the industry as we know it can survive."

– Helen Yeulet

Director of Training and Skills, BESA

“These Figures are an Absolute Scandal”

“These figures are an absolute scandal,” said the Association’s Director of Training and Skills Helen Yeulet. “We appear to have made no progress on diversity at all.

“The industry needs new approaches to meet its skills gap and embrace the technologies that will help to tackle climate change. A different workforce brings diversity of thought that will be essential if it is to grow and develop.

“We must make our industry more inclusive and representative of the society it serves. It is crucial that we shift the ‘male, stale and pale’ image so that we can recruit the multi-background, multi-talented workforce our companies need to play their part in future economic growth. Otherwise, it is hard to see how the industry as we know it can survive.

Heating has a rapidly ageing workforce with a high proportion of employees over 55 and has seen a sharp drop in the number of workers under 30. BESA believes apprentices will be a crucial part of the solution, so employers are being urged to sign up for its “Future Skills’ pledge” and commit to taking on at least one apprentice this year.

Social Stereotypes Preventing Women From Joining Technical Training Courses

The Catapult’s report argues that “inherent societal stereotypes” perpetuate the perception that the heating trade is only for men, which leads to a flawed recruitment process that prioritises employing more men.

Women also reported that they were not encouraged to join technical training courses at school age as these were “only for boys”; and later in life financial barriers and lack of flexible working limited access for women and ethnic minorities. The report said many people were put off by the cost of training courses and that awareness of available funding was low.

So-called “banter” culture is a further disincentive to people who feel they may be exposed to sexist and racist behaviour in the white male-dominated heating sector.

Picture: a photograph of two people working at a laptop together, pictured from the back. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 17 February 2023

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