Hartlepool College of Further Education has been working with a number of top companies recently in order to boost the promotion of women in the construction industry. Companies based across the North East of the UK have been working with the educational facility in order to promote the construction industry as a possible career option for more women.
Involved in the promotion drive was the North East branch of the National Association of Women in Construction hosted their Continuing Professional Development event invited 13 women form a variety of different roles in the construction industry, from students to Managing Directors. Companies involved in this event includes Constructing Excellence North East, WSP Seymour Civil Engineering, Seymour Architects, Working Well together North East, Emerald Architects, Gateshead Housing Company and Lambert Smith Hampton. The event was also attended by six students from Hartlepool College studying six Construction and Built Environment students.
Research has shown that women take 12.8% of the construction workforce in the UK earlier this year. The housing developer, Keepmoat, has revealed that only 13% of women who are aged between 16 and 25 would consider a career in construction, meaning this percentage of women in the industry is currently unlikely to change. Therefore, more promotion is needed to showcase the range of different career paths available in this industry and diffuse the misconception that the industry will always be a male dominated field.
Events such as this one are a great opportunity to bring together women in the industry to get involved with projects and to share experiences. The Continuing Professional Development event is also a great way for people to learn new skills. The event also offered an opportunity for the women to try new things, with engineering students trying their hand a t joinery and bricklaying. The event gives a great impression of the construction industry and shows that women are more than capable of the roles that are usually associated with men.
