James writes:
I took part in the M27 Women in construction day on 28 November.
The day, at BMJV’s site office in Titchfield, was about how we can encourage women to join the construction industry.
The main message we need to share is that construction is not all muddy boots and digging. There are so many different roles in our industry to have a look at, if getting dirty and digging is not your thing.
In my presentation, I described my journey at VGC. I started as a general operative on site, and my career has grown, including working in the recruitment team, to my current position as labour manager.
The event was arranged by BMJV’s skills and employment manager in partnership with CITB and Hampshire County Council. Also taking part were:
The BMJV M27 programme manager and other female members of the BMJV team also delivered presentations.
I found the event educational, and the other presenters and their stories were inspirational. I had never heard of some of the remarkable women who have worked (and currently work) in our industry.
The BMJV project skills co-ordinator reported that feedback was very positive. A representative from Hampshire County Council emailed: “Can you pass on my thanks to all the people involved please? The speakers were great and was lovely to hear about their roles and how they got into them. Hopefully we can do more events like this in future and spread the word!”
At the event, three women were presented with Construction Skills Fund pre-employment training (PET1) completion certificates. (PET short courses, managed by Hampshire County Council, are free to eligible people. The courses lead to a green CSCS card.)
(James is VGC’s labour manager supporting the M27 smart motorway project. He works collaboratively with partner companies Danny Sullivan and Reliable to ensure that client Bam Nuttall Morgan Sindall JV has access to a high-quality skilled workforce.)
