International Women's Day: Trainee assistant site manager breaks the bias in Northamptonshire

To mark International Women’s Day on Wednesday 8th March, Barratt Homes is encouraging more women to consider a career in the construction industry, with a variety of roles available across Northamptonshire.

Whilst the number of female construction workers has increased steadily in recent years, the proportion of women in the industry is still significantly lower, something which the housebuilder is keen to change. Research figures from the union for construction workers, GMB, showed that if the rate of female employees continues to rise at the rate it is now, the number of women in the industry won’t equal men until 2194.

Among Barratt Homes’ female employees is Lizz Wakefield, (38), who was recently appointed as a Trainee Assistant Site Manager, based at the Bertone Gardens development in Kettering.

Lizz, who started in the construction industry at 17, believes she was discriminated against at the start of her career because of her gender. Pursuing electrical instillation when first leaving school, Lizz outperformed many of her male peers, yet was still unable to secure an apprenticeship, believing her gender was often the cause. She can remember being called a distraction to male workers and likely to drop out or become pregnant.

Losing confidence in herself, Lizz transferred to a career in painting and decorating, where she believes her gender was less of an issue, but was a field she had less passion for.

Over the proceeding 20 years, Lizz’s career excelled alongside her starting a family and running her own decorating business for a number of years. She even worked for postal service for a short time, until in 2022, she decided to return to the construction industry she was so passionate about. She applied directly to Barratt Homes, and in October of last year, Lizz was appointed her position.

Lizz said: “It’s very important for women to have a voice in construction. It can be a rather alpha male environment, but women can offer a completely different perspective, which is greatly needed.

“Throughout my whole career I have witnessed the great leaps forward women have made in the construction industry. We have come a long way, and I am proud of each step made, but it still needs to be pushed further.

“I never want to hear that a girl was put off a job in construction because of her gender; a job she could love and excel in. I never want to hear again discriminating excuses like, she would be a distraction to men.

“If I could speak directly to a girl or woman contemplating a career in construction, I would tell her to believe in her own convictions. You are not subordinate to anyone because of your gender, and don’t let anyone stand in the way of what you want to do in life.”

With a number of female employees already in a range of roles across the company, the housebuilder is reminding women from all skill sets of the different roles available and is encouraging them to put their experience to the industry.

Daniel Evans, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Cambridgeshire, said: “We want to quash the age-old notion that the construction industry is a male-dominated field, as we have many women who work out on site as well as in office-based roles.

“As a leading housebuilder we are fully aware that one of the largest issues surrounding diversity in construction is the number of female employees working within the sector and the current gender imbalance it faces.

“With a range of departments within the company, we want to remind women that there are a variety of different roles that can be offered within the business that have great benefits and excellent opportunities for career progression.”

Some roles within the industry include those based on site, such as Electricians, Plasterers, Engineers, Forklift Drivers, Scaffolders, Bricklayers, Site Managers and Contracts Managers.

For those at head office, roles include Architectural Technicians, Surveyors, Land and Planning Managers, Estimators, Buyers and Finance Administrators.