Female construction leaders from across East Anglia have been sharing their views on how to inspire the next generation of women to join the sector.
To mark Women in Construction Week, Construction Anglia has spoken with women in a variety of roles in the industry, asking them about how they got started, their journey through the sector and what needs to be done to help more women join the profession.
Carly Hughes, Director/Business Owner at Immerse Safety, has been working in Health and Safety for 10 years, running her own company for six years where 90% of her work is within construction.
She said: “When I started in Health and Safety I was 18 years old and had always been very practical and hands on – I have no qualms getting my boots on and getting stuck in.
“I think it’s important more women enter the sector because we need to move away from the old narrative that the construction industry is just for men.
“In order to encourage more women to enter the sector we need role models, visible role models.
“It’s like observer bias – when a young female apprentice sees another woman on a construction site it shows what can be achieved.
“We have to try and change that bias.”
Aoife O’Gorman is a Director at BCR-Infinity Architects.
She was inspired to join the sector after visiting Barcelona as a teenager, falling in love with the city’s buildings, squares and social spaces.
“I didn’t get past A in the list of subjects on UCAS,” she said.
“The industry has improved since I started out 25 years ago, however there’s still much more that needs to be done.
“When I went to uni there were a significant number of women studying but just four percent made it to a senior level.
“There has been a significant change over the years but it’s still a sector where you have a 50/50 intake at university and only 20% making it into senior level – it’s not good enough.
“One main thing to help will be having more senior level people to look up to. You really think you can achieve something once you’ve seen someone else do it.
“There was one woman in my first job who was an architectural technician, a single mum who took it all in her stride.
“That was a great role role model to have – I didn’t feel there was anything that could hold me back.
“For me, the more diverse the workforce, the better.
“I remember when I first walked onto sites and saw the disappointment on some men’s faces that I was a woman.
“Afterwards they would say ‘fantastic, I wasn’t expecting a woman to be this good’ and you took it because you knew the next woman that walked up would find it easier.
“I think we have worked very hard to make it a much more inclusive sector than when I started out, but I still feel women feel they have to be better to be counted.”
Heidi Jones, Senior Surveyor at Castons Consulting, became a Quantity Surveyor later in her career, having previously owned and managed her own bakery.
She said although she had seen much improvement in the sector, with more women becoming QS’s, she would like to see more women take on roles in the ‘hands-on’ jobs on site.
She added: “There’s still a bit of bias towards women in the industry but over the last few years I’m seeing more and more female QS’s in the job and female architects.
“The only place I don’t see them as often is on site. That could definitely be improved in the future – I think we need more female bricklayers and groundspeople.
“The team I work in has a 50/50 gender split which is really good.
“It’s generally still a male-dominated world but I’ve noticed change in the seven years I’ve been in the job.
“When you were growing up you were told it just wasn’t a job that you did.
“I think we see things differently, so often we will have a different perspective on a project.
“There are so many talented women out there that could do this sort of job.
“It’s about building their confidence and letting them know they will be welcomed into the sector.”
Sarah Warren, Pre-contracts Director at TMJ Interiors has been working at the firm for 16 years.
“I joined the industry by chance but within six months fell in love with it,” she said.
Sarah said women faced extra pressure to prove themselves in construction, and additional challenges when returning from work after having children.
She added: “To me, as most of my friends growing up were male, the sector being male-dominated wasn’t an issue when I started but I can see women face more challenges as their careers progress.
“I don’t like to generalise, and this isn’t always the case, but I have often found women get promoted for what they have done while men get promoted for what they are going to do.
“You have to really prove yourself and continue to do so to get anywhere – probably more so than male counterparts.
“My view is if you are the right person for the role, you should get the job.
“I think there are still barriers to women progressing in the sector, particularly around returning to work after maternity.
“It’s why the industry loses a lot of women because there’s not that opportunity to come back and continue in their career progression.
“I think it’s about making sure women are working in a company that understands you and what you want, having open conversations about barriers and what can be done to break them down.
“These are the companies that will succeed in the future as if they don’t evolve, they are severely limiting the pool of talent available.”
Clare Friel, founder of Women in Construction Anglia, said: “The key to the construction industry’s success in the future is attracting more people into the industry and improving the gender balance.
“An important part of that is having visible role models for the next generation to look up to, so they can see what is possible if they put their mind to it.
“But it is not only attracting people to the sector but retention, making sure we don’t lose people after they have chosen to enter the industry.
“Construction is a fabulous sector to work in, and has made some progress to be more inclusive and break down barriers, but there is still much to be done.
“But I’m optimistic that companies are now realising the benefits of having more women in the workforce.
“However, it’s easy to say you want to be more inclusive, but we need to showcase the opportunities in the industry to do this.”
Women in Construction Anglia is organising a student takeover lunch at West Suffolk College on March 14, giving industry leaders the opportunity to return to the classroom and gain fresh insights into the next generation’s perspective on the construction industry.
For tickets see here.