Four women at an Ipswich-based housing provider say there’s never been a better time to join the sector.
East Anglian quartet Isabel Bateman (28), Steffi Moore (23), Eva Burton (21), and Layla Rayner (27), work at Flagship Homes and have urged more women to join the sector, as the industry celebrates Women in Construction Week.
The week, which runs from 1-7 March, highlights the important role women have in the construction industry and the many career opportunities the sector can provide.
Partnership Manager Isabel joined Flagship Homes four years ago.
She said: “Sometimes the word ‘construction’ makes you just think of building, but there are so many more opportunities than you realise.
“It’s nice to see a good balance between men and women across our team, and more women coming through all the time.
“I didn’t think I’d one day be on a construction site in a hard hat and boots when I was in school.
“We need to encourage women to be a bit more daring and look into things that weren’t traditionally women’s roles.”
The industry is currently facing a skills gap, with the UK’s construction workforce shrinking by more than 300,000 workers over the past two decades. More than 140,000 vacancies are currently unfilled.
Women make up around 15 per cent of the overall construction workforce, but fewer than two percent work in on-site trades.
Steffi is a sales and marketing research co-ordinator at Flagship Homes.
She said she enjoyed being part of the whole process – from purchasing land for new housing, to the construction, and seeing people move into their new homes.
“It’s really rewarding to see it come to fruition,” she said.
“I didn’t know half the roles in housing and construction existed before I started at Flagship, and I think a lot of women would be surprised by what’s out there.”
With the government pushing to deliver 1.5 million new homes this parliament and the Construction Industry Training Board forecasting the sector will need around 48,000 extra workers every year until 2029, the pressure to attract fresh talent has never been greater.
Eva, from Norwich, is Flagship Homes’ Defect Coordinator, focused on helping iron out issues after people move into new homes.
She said: “It makes a huge difference to the people I help, so it’s a really rewarding role.
“It’s also really nice to build relationships with the on-site contractors, and learn more about what they do and the way they work.”
Layla’s interest in housing was sparked through learning about architecture as part of her sixth form History of Modern Art studies. She later took an architecture degree while working at a practice, after a mentor helped awaken her passion for design.
She now leads the design team as Flagship Homes’ Design Manager, shaping new developments from the initial site layout concept, to progressing the design details that make the development.
Miss Rayner, from Lowestoft, said: “It’s not just providing a house type – it’s the elevation materials, the landscape, the boundary treatments, all working with the site layout design to create a successful environment.
“Everything comes together, creating a new community, and what our customers will call their home at the end of it. That really drives me.”
