Women in Newport are being given the opportunity to join a funded three-week programme, where they’ll receive, training, insight and work experience as a trainee site manager on a local home building site.
The Women into Home Building programme aims to encourage more women to consider careers within the home building industry and address common barriers to entry. It offers participants the opportunity to gain valuable skills and work experience in an on-site leadership position – and the chance to connect with potential employers in Newport.
Successful applicants will take part in a week of online training and insight sessions to develop their knowledge of site management. They will then be matched to a local home building site where they will complete a two-week work placement.
The initiative has been developed by industry trade body, the Home Builders Federation in partnership with regional and national home builders to attract more women into site management careers and address common barriers to entry, including travel and childcare costs.
Currently, women account for just 16% of the construction workforce and 4% of existing site managers in the home building industry. With the industry facing a major skills shortage, the programme aims to address the constraints of the current talent pipeline and the gender imbalance in the workforce.
Since welcoming women into its first cohort in 2023, the Women into Home Building programme has engaged 238 women, successfully guided 65 candidates through training and work experience and supported 20 candidates into employment within the industry.
The programme is being delivered in partnership with 11 home builders to offer more than 30 training, support and work placements across England, Wales and Scotland. Participating home builders include Bellway, Gleeson, Hill Group, Hopkins Homes, Lovell Homes, Northstone, Places for People, Prospect Homes, St Modwen Homes, Tilia Homes, and Vistry Group.
Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at HBF, said:
“Having women in onsite leadership roles expands perspectives, introduces different leadership styles and boosts creativity, so we’re pleased to be working with our members once again to deliver the Women into Home Building programme.
“Our programme has been developed to increase awareness of the leadership careers available within the industry and routes to employment, whilst giving participants employer-backed knowledge and experience to kick-start their careers.”
Women interested in the programme can apply on the HBF website. Applications close at 5pm on Sunday 22 September 2024.
