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Paula look out your plumb bob and Sarah don your safety helmet: a new course at New College Lanarkshire’s Motherwell Campus is helping young women get their first qualifications in construction.
Sixteen S5 pupils are working towards a National 5 qualification in Construction Crafts as a way of getting their feet on the first rungs of the industry ladders.
The Females in Construction Course is being supported by hub South West, which was established in 2012 to deliver value-for-money on public sector community-based infrastructure across Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway.
It has the backing of the organisation’s main contracting partners – Kier, Graham, Morrisons and Morgan Sundail – as a way of encouraging more women to consider careers in construction.
As part of the course, students are making site visits to see at first hand what the work involves, while back at college they’ve been making a start on developing their skills in painting and decorating, masonry work and carpentry and joinery.
Encouraging women into the industry is one way employers are helping to boost the numbers of workers entering the sector.
With older tradespeople retiring and younger workers from overseas returning home, there’s a real need for more boots on the ground if housebuilding is to meet targets and for larger projects, including offices essential to the growth of the economy, to push ahead.
So, if you’re a woman and you’ve been scrolling through the construction vacancies on s1jobs, don’t be put off. Employers today follow strict equality codes and they’ve recognised most women bring great practical and people skills, as well as a fine work ethic.
Students who do well in this initial course at New College Lanarkshire and are interested in pursuing a professional career path in construction may have the opportunity to join the college’s Built Environment or computer-aided architectural design and technology courses.
Amanda Wright, Social Impact Manager for Kier Construction Scotland, she says: “We’re delighted to support this important initiative. All of our sites are looking forward to sharing our knowledge and showcasing the wide range of diverse and very rewarding career opportunities that exist for women, both within Kier Construction Scotland, and throughout the construction industry.”
At Morgan Sindall, more than 18% of the workforce are women – that’s an increase from 10% two years ago and way higher than the national sector average of 12%.
So let’s hear for the new generation of women in construction and let’s get you started in your new career with the latest Construction vacancies on s1jobs.