The spotlight's being put on the recruitment practices of the trades sector on the back of new figures showing the dismal number of women who are employed in the trades.

Figures from the building and construction industry training organisation show that just seven percent of the workforce are women, across construction, engineering and manufacturing.

In construction alone, the figure is less than three percent.

BCITO’s Erica Cumming led the research. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that there is a skill shortage in New Zealand, but employers are potentially "fishing from only half the pond".

Cumming says that women are applying for roles and enjoy their jobs, but there are many women who are not made aware of jobs being made available. 

"The research we have, a lot of women are telling me that they don't know about the opportunities." 

Concerns around heavy jobs has been acknowledged as a barrier, but Cumming says that if it is too heavy for a woman to do, it may not be safe.