Inspiring Women

Kate Morement is head of risk and compliance at Assent I took a very non-traditional route into the world of construction. Having begun my working life as a shelf-stacker with a supermarket chain and rising through the management ranks before I realised that retail wasn’t for me, I took a…

Lorraine Williamson is a senior associate at Rider Levett Bucknall Having loved to draw at school, and with no career guidance, I decided to be an architect. However, upon realising the disparity between artistic and technical drawing, I realised this was not for me. “Emboldening women to go for promotions…

The Balfour Beatty Vinci joint venture (JV) working on HS2 has announced the launch of a women’s only training course to mark International Women’s Day. The course, called Introduction to Construction, is designed to equip women with the skills and accreditation they need to start a new career in the…

Job flexibility is the “single biggest barrier” for women in the construction industry, a non-profit lead has told a parliament select committee. Jacqui Wordsworth, business development director at Women into Construction, a not-for-profit that promotes gender equality in the sector, said that women struggle to find jobs in construction that…

Beth Bundonis is regional managing director at Lovell Partnerships This week is Women in Construction Week. Dating back to 1953, it has maintained a singular goal: to strengthen and amplify the success of women in the construction industry. Since it was first established, there’s no question that the industry has…

Jayne Little is founder and chief executive of Skills 4 Many of us have heard the analogy of diversity and inclusion being likened to a party: “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.” But who will ask? To succeed in attracting and retaining diverse…

Katie Pinder is the emerging talent lead at Mace In all walks of life, a truly inclusive and diverse environment can see immeasurable benefits, such as new perspectives and skillsets. Historically, the construction industry’s workforce has been dominated by men. However, a noticeable shift is occurring in the UK construction…

 Katy Harris is director of preconstruction for property services at Seddon As we stood at the midpoint of 2023, the construction industry celebrated a notable milestone: 15.8 per cent of its workforce were women, a rise from 12.8 per cent pre-pandemic. This progress, though modest, is a beacon of change…

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) has added women’s personal protective equipment (PPE) to its contractor checklist. Companies that opt in to the CCS code of considerate practice will now have to ensure that PPE is available on site in suitable sizes. Contractors signed up to the voluntary code are assessed…

With the number of women in construction edging up, leaders are urged to keep chipping away to effect change More women are working in the construction industry than ever before. At 15.8 per cent of the construction workforce, according to the latest figures, it is the highest proportion on record…