Women now represent over 10% of the construction apprenticeship intake which is a historic high for the sector. But we can do better!
At M&Y 30% of it’s apprentices are female, ranking higher than the industry average for our sector, but there’s still work to be done!
Our MD, Gill Kelly is leading the way in inspiring more women to consider a career in the construction industry. With women making just 12.5% of the UK construction force overall, Apprenticeships tackle this issue head on by bringing young women on-site from the very start of their careers.
At M&Y it’s important we lead by example, and empowering women to thrive in the built environment starts at the top and runs through from our leadership all the way to hiring apprentices and the newest members of our team.
“When I was made MD of M&Y I was 34 years old, after being in the industry since I was 19. The industry back then was even more male-dominated than it is today.”
“Real change starts with a genuine commitment to inclusivity. For us at M&Y that means being thoughtful and intentional about diversity in our recruitment and flexible work packages, making sure our sites have adequate facilities and support no matter what the gender of the person doing the job is.”
“Bringing young women on board as apprentices is really inspiring too. I invest a lot of time speaking in schools and colleges to reinforce this message. It’s so important for young women to receive encouragement from their schools, colleges, friends and family to explore careers in construction if that’s something that interests them.”
In her fantastic apprenticeship degree role, Erin, works on our Grove Street development:
“Coming into the industry with little experience felt like a daunting challenge at first. Before starting with M&Y, the only time I’d been on a construction site was during a week’s work experience which my college had set up.” – Erin, Degree Apprentice Quantity Surveyor
If you’re a woman and considering a career in construction, we need you!
You don’t have to know exactly what you want to be, just start in one job, get to know the opportunities, and find your path from there. Gender should never be a barrier to a job.
Read more here about how we work to help women build careers in construction or check out our latest vacancies
