As International Women’s Day puts the spotlight on women’s achievements, Norwich partnership homes developer Lovell is urging more girls and women to consider construction careers.
Lovell, which has women working across its East Anglian business, would like to see more coming into an industry where female workers remain under-represented, making up just 12.8% of the overall national construction workforce.
Lovell’s local team includes Norwich-based Customer Care Manager Daisy Foord (pictured above), who ensures that all homes built by the firm meet the highest quality standards.
Daisy says her experience is that perceptions of the industry as a ‘man’s world’ are now well and truly out of date: “Attitudes — and legislation — have changed so much in recent years that the barriers have all but disappeared.”
Daisy would particularly like to see more done to raise awareness about construction careers among girls and young women while they are in education. “It’s important to make it clear that there are no jobs in construction that women cannot do – and do well. I would also like to see increased promotion of the opportunities there are, including the many apprenticeships available for both manual and managerial roles and the wide variety of technical and degree courses that can lead to creative and well-paid careers.”
Daisy began her own construction career after following her father, a roofing contractor, into the industry: “I’m a very active person and knew I didn’t want to work nine-to-five in an office. I liked the idea of a job that would offer challenge and variety. Construction certainly provides that and I find I thrive under pressure.
“When the end product is someone’s home and it has to be ready and perfect by a deadline, it motivates everyone to work to the best of their ability. I like the buzz and satisfaction of seeing a family delighted with what is probably going to be the biggest purchase of their lives. That moment when the customers arrive to view their home for the first time is an extremely enjoyable part of the job.”
Lovell Regional Managing Director Simon Medler said: “The industry is a different place today and that’s a message we need to communicate more widely in order to get more girls and young women thinking about construction as a career. Sharing the experience of someone like Daisy is a great way of demonstrating the opportunities available for talented young people looking for a successful and rewarding career. We’d encourage any young woman interested in working in construction to get in touch and see what we can offer them.”
