As International Women’s Day(8th March) approaches, Keepmoat and New Tyne West Development Company brings construction trainees on site to gain experience and Sisk celebrates their female employees
As the construction industry celebrates Women in Construction Week (6-12 March 2023) and International Womens Day on 8th March, John Sisk & Son (Sisk) have produced a promotional video to celebrate its female colleagues in the north UK region and female construction trainees will see a variety of onsite roles with Keepmoat.
Currently only 1/5 of Sisk’s workforce are women
According to latest figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women in the UK construction industry currently account for 15 per cent of the workforce.
The video showcases the various commitments women of all ages, backgrounds and roles from graduates to directors in its business have and how they have progressed their careers in the construction sector.
Sisk currently has a total female workforce of 20 percent across its UK operations and has a target for its early careers population (graduates, interns and apprentices).
The business wants to increase intake to a target level of 25 percent in 2023.
Alan Rodger, managing director, UK North, John Sisk & Son said: “As an industry we need to do more collectively to attract more females into our sector and appoint the best candidate for every job.
“Sisk recognises the importance of female role models with varied and atypical careers, both for our business and the wider industry. We continue to support STEM events and have an extensive school and colleges outreach programme to highlight the many exciting opportunities that exist for women.
Students from a WiC Employment programme will gain onsite experience with Keepmoat
New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC) – a partnership between Newcastle City Council and Keepmoat – which has already delivered over 500 homes on the regeneration project, is working with its construction partner, Keepmoat, to support local people to work in the industry.
Eleven students who are taking part in a six week Women in Construction Employment programme – delivered by Gateshead College as part of its BuildNE project – will benefit from classroom training in addition to visiting live sites, like The Rise Scotswood.
The female construction trainee scheme is the first of its kind in the North East
The course includes three weeks of construction-related and employability training, a two-week practical, hands-on work experience placement, site visits and one to one support sessions.
Whilst on placement the students will gain experience of vocational and on-site roles such as document control, project administration, Computer Aided Design (CAD) Technician, site engineer and trade-based trainee positions, including brick laying, joinery and roofing.
Cheryl Spybey, 55 and from Blyth, said: “It is fantastic to see a course like this being offered in the region. Its content is so diverse so has wide appeal regardless of previous work experience. It has certainly made me aware of the variety of roles available and all the teams involved before even the first brick is laid on a site.”
Geoff Scott, social value manager for Keepmoat North East added: “It is great to be part of the WiC Employment Programme – the first of its kind to be delivered in the North East. We are confident that this initiative will equip all the participants with the knowledge and training to help prepare them for future employment.”
